Lifeblood DISCONTINUED
by MachinaExDeo
Summary: Hundreds of years ago, the Grimm nearly eradicated the humans and Faunus. Remnant is now a wasteland of death and destruction. Today, safe behind walls and protected by the Huntsmen, the people have been lulled into a false sense of security. But little do they of the dangers they face. The war has already begun. And only a few can avert the upcoming apocalypse.
1. Chapter 1: Red Night

Lifeblood

 **Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY. If I did, Jaune would take a freaking hint already.**

 **Chapter 1: Red Night**

 _ **(Jaune: Age 13)**_

Jaune was shaking with excitement. He had finally convinced his eldest sister to help his training. Sable had just graduated from Haven Academy in Mistral and was taking some time off before her first assignment. After hours of begging and flattery from Jaune, she decided to finally take pity on him and at least give him some basic tips, while their mother was shopping and away from the house, of course. Fortunately their father was in Vale for a meeting so they didn't have to worry about _him_.

"I still don't understand why you can't wait another two weeks when you begin combat school," she said with exasperation, while leading him into the forest. "I'm sure you can learn much more there than you can from me." The petite young woman wore a dark grey button up coat over a simple white shirt, black shorts that reached down to her knees and dark brown combat boots. Strapped to her hips were two large holstered silver pistols. Each hand, calloused from years of training and combat held a wooden practice sword. Her shoulder-length blonde hair swayed slightly in the wind. Her cyan eyes which shone with amusement and the small smile on her aristocratic face betrayed her true emotions.

"Yeah, but you were already training for years before you enrolled in combat school, and besides that, Dad always says that you should always take the initiative to get an advantage." Jaune replied, reciting one of his father's "lessons" while marching behind his sister. The boy was small, barely reaching four feet. Expecting a harsh workout he wore an old and tattered grey jumpsuit. His blonde hair, a shade darker than his sister's, bounced with each step, and his brilliant blue eyes twinkled with excitement. "I still can't believe that Mom banned Dad from training me."

"Well, Dad isn't exactly what you'd call 'responsible', and to be honest you're not much better yourself," Sable said thinking of her father's clumsiness, which Jaune had unfortunately inherited. Perhaps it was a good judgement on their mother's part to not trust him with Jaune and sharp, deadly objects. Though it probably did more harm than good to shelter him so much. She stopped walking when she reached the middle of a clearing within the forest. "Okay, first lesson, have you at least had your Aura unlocked yet?"

Jaune answered her with a blank look. "You... do know what Aura is, right?"

"Umm..."

Sable sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. ' _Why am I not surprised?'_ "Alright, I'll give you a crash course. Aura is the manifestation of one's soul. Aura can be used as defense by applying a layer of Aura over the body. Alternatively Aura can be used for offense by augmenting one's own body and it can even be used to heal oneself. With enough training some people can even gain a special and unique ability called a Semblance. Now, I'm getting ahead of myself. Before we can even begin training your Aura, it has to be unlocked."

Jaune was practically vibrating with excitement and anticipation now. "So how will I unlock my Aura?"

" _You_ won't unlock it, I will. Now, come here and close you eyes, stay still." Jaune stepped forward and Sable put her hand on his shoulder and shut her eyes as well.

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality," she intoned, "through this we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."

At that moment, Jaune felt a great warmth spread throughout his body. He felt stronger, his senses sharper, he could feel his heart beating faster. He opened his eyes and saw his arms glowing brightly before fading.

"Wow, Jaune," he looked up to see his sister looking at him in awe and he noticed her slight exhaustion. "Your Aura reserves are very impressive. Certainly larger than mine were at your age." _'Maybe even as big as Iris' Aura'_

"Why are you so tired?" Jaune asked, seeing the beads of sweat on her forehead.

"Unlocking someone's Aura takes a toll on you, and the bigger the Aura being opened, the more Aura it takes to unlock it. Don't worry about it too much," she reassured him seeing his worried expression. "I just didn't expect to use so much. It'll replenish itself soon. You should be proud to have such a potent Aura." She smiled after seeing his embarassed expression, ' _He really is too easy to fluster'_ she thought.

"Okay, now we'll work on some basic forms and I'll tell you how to use your Aura in combat."

Three hours later, Jaune was bruised and drenched in sweat and sprawled on the grass trying to catch his breath. To his right was his practice sword, chipped and bent. To his left was Sable twirling her practice sword with an amused expression on her face.

"Well, that wasn't a bad start. I'm surprised you lasted this long. Rough around the edges, but that's to be expected. You've got a good grasp of using your Aura to augment your body and to cushion hits, but you really shouldn't rely on it too much. Not to mention how much of it you're using. I know your reserves are big but the way you use it is just wasteful."

"I thought... that Aura could... block hits... so why do I have... so many bruises?" Jaune managed to wheeze out. " And why... does it hurt... so... much?"

"Aura isn't an absolute defense, Jaune," Sable said reproachfully. "Aura can dampen hits, but if a force is too great, some of it will break through. Not only that, but Aura can get weaker the more you use it, especially with your lack of experience and efficiency. As for why it hurts, Aura can only block the physical _damage_ , not the pain of the attack itself."

"One more thing, You taught me sword forms, but you don't use swords."

"Jaune, those were all basic stances which you would have learned at school anyway. And there's a reason I only showed you the basics. You're still growing for one thing. If you get fixated on a style now, you'll be spending the next few years adjusting every time you hit a growth spurt. Better you tailor a style to yourself as you grow so you can be far more comfortable with it when your body settles. It's why proper Huntsmen education doesn't start until 17. Secondly, you haven't decided on what kind of sword you want to use yet."

"Why does that matter?" Jaune asked, finally able to sit up again.

"Because, you idiot, every kind of sword has a different style for attacking. Longswords for crushing blows, falchions for manoeuvrability, katanas for precision cuts and so on." A look of understanding crossed Jaune's face. Sable looked up and saw the sun beginning to set. "Well it's getting quite late, let's hea-" She cut herself off and began to look around alarmed. " Jaune get behind me, now!"

"Why, what's wro-"

"Just do it now!" Jaune quickly scrambled to his feet sensing the urgency of the situation, and moved close behind her. She drew her guns and continued to look around the area spotting a large number of malevolent red eyes. ' _King Taijitu, Ursa, Beowolves and, oh shit, are those Deathstalkers!? Why are they here so near to the village? Not even the younger Grimm are stupid enough to get so close. Something must have led them here.'_ She looked down at Jaune who finally recognized the danger they were in. ' _I need to get him out here, there isn't that many here right now, but I can't risk even one slipping past'_

"Jaune, listen to me very carefully. You know the way back home, right? When I give you the signal I want you to run as fast as you can to our house and tell Mom the situation here."

"B-But what about you? T-There's so m-many of them and I think we're surrounded"

"Pfft, these guys'll need another hundred to even scratch me. And don't worry they'll be so focused on me they won't even notice a little squirt like you." In truth she didn't know if that was true, but she _did_ know that if Jaune stayed here he'll have no chance at all.

"Now!" she shouted as the Grimm charged. Sable burst into action, instantly shooting the two Ursa in front of Jaune, creating an opening through which he sprinted. A King Taijitu reared its head to strike, but both heads were blown off in quick succesion. Any more Grimm who attempted to follow the boy were shot down just as quickly. After making sure that the monsters' attention was solely on her, she charged.

* * *

A few minutes in, Sable was already starting to have problems. She had taken out quite a few already but as far as she could tell, there were over a hundred Grimm of varying species determined to reach the town chasing after Jaune. She knew she had to divert their attention to her, and therein lies the first problem.

The thing about a diversion is that it has to be diverting. Big, flashy and crude. That just wasn't Sable's style at all. She'd rather run through these beasts and pump their soulless heads full of lead and/or rip though their throats before they can even see her. However, here they _had_ to see her, and she was wasting too much time and ammunition making sure they did. At first, she attempted to enrage the Grimm and lead them deeper into the forest, but their persistence in reaching town forced her on the defensive.

That leads to the second problem, her limited supplies and time. At this rate she'll run out of bullets before even half of the Grimm are taken out. Not to mention that she had not finished restoring the Aura she had used to unlock Jaune's Aura. She jumped onto a branch above her just as a Boarbatusk barrelled past right below her. From her new height she could see the town in the distance, and she cursed as she realized how much ground she had lost.

' _I have to take it up a notch'_ , she thought. She reversed her grip on her guns. Her pistols clicked, and transformed; the back of the gun barrels extended until they ran along the length of her entire forearm. Along the edge of these lengthened barrels, glowing silver blades shot out, and the blades seemed to emit a high-pitched whine. Her cyan eyes began to glow with power and her body became enveloped in an ethereal, silver shroud. Sable gripped her newly transformed bladed tonfas, leapt down and the battle resumed.

Her shining blades sang as they spun through the air and cleaved through the Grimm unimpeded. It was as if two crescent moons had descended to Remnant to wreak havoc on the monsters. Any of the Grimm that attempted to bypass her were picked off by her bullets. In one minute, the Grimm were advancing, the next minute a stalemate was achieved. By the third, they were being pushed back, but only just.

 _'I can't keep this up for long,'_ she thought, a sheen of sweat already covering her forehead. _'Hurry, Jaune'_

* * *

Jaune ran as fast as he could, jumping over the thick tree roots and fallen branches. He had to get help. Sable was strong and was a fully fledged Huntress, but those Grimm were so big, and there were so many, there had to be dozens. even she couldn't take on that many without support.

He hated running away. He wished he could help, but he knew that he would just be a burden, and would likely get them both killed. He felt his muscles burning in protest but he pumped whatever Aura he could dredge up and forced his legs to keep running. He could feel his Aura depleting rapidly, his lack of experience making his usage sloppy and wasteful but he paid it no mind. He had to get to town. His mother's strength was monstrous, and he knew she could decimate those Grimm within seconds.

He pushed his legs to their limit and forced enough Aura into them to make them glow. He was now practically leaping through the trees, a trail of dust and fallen leaves behind him, and soon enough he could see the town walls up ahead. He blasted through the gates, ignoring the absence of the gate sentries and was greeted with a horrific sight.

' _Wha-'_ he thought, surveying the nightmarish scene. _'What the hell is this?!'_

The small village of Crystalcliff, so named for its shimmering rivers surrounding the town that have sculpted steep white valleys around the village, had not suffered a Grimm attack for over a century, a statistic that not even the city of Vale could boast. It was the only reason Sable and Jaune could get away with leaving the village walls. The village had magnificent natural borders, the valleys so deep it might as well be an island. The only way in were three highly guarded stone bridges with large gates that could be closed within a minute. But Vale had similar and superior defences, so what made this small village so safe?

The reason was twofold. Crystalcliff was situated at a perfect distance north-east of Vale city. Grimm are attracted to negative emotions, and the amount of negative emotion from a city completely overshadows anything a small town could ever produce. It is far enough from Vale that it will not be caught in any incoming attack. At the same time it is not so isolated that it is the only source of human emotion the Grimm can sense. Huntsmen from all over Vale have recognized it as a safe haven and a small outpost was added, further adding to the town security. It should have been safe and sheltered from any threats, a sign of salvation in a continent ravaged by Grimm.

At that moment, though, it was a scene of death and chaos.

The southern half of the town was in flames. The Huntsmen were rushing the villagers into the town hall, presumably to the shelters. Several buildings have fallen, with civilians and Huntsmen alike working to free anyone imprisoned in the wreckage. In the distance he could see the southern gate, reduced to rubble, masses of black creatures spilling through. But that was not what drew Jaune's attention. That was not what would be haunting him for years.

It was the Grimm. There were scores of them, much more than the horde Sable was facing. Some were just gigantic, over thirty feet tall. Overhead, a swarm of black bird-like Grimm circled the town, swooping down to grab their next victims. With a sickening realization, Jaune saw blood on their masks. Large, armored beasts stampeded through the streets, leaving death and ruin in their wake. The air was filled with a horrendous, disjointed orchestra of roaring flames, fierce battle-cries, unearthly wails and screams of desperation.

For what seemed like centuries, Jaune just stood there, his tears falling, trying and failing to process the scene before him. Eventually, he blinked back his tears and remembered his objective. He ran towards the hall and spotted a familiar head of brown hair.

"Mom!" Jaune yelled. "Mom! Over here! Sable, sh-she's-"

"Jaune! Where the hell have you been?!" Isabelle asked her son hysterically. "Oh, that's not important, get inside quickly! Your sisters are already in there, look after them."

"M-mom, wh-what happened to you?"

His mother was wearing a simple yellow sundress, one that Jaune had seen before, since it was one of his mother's favorites. The problem was that it was in tatters. It was spattered with blood and some thick, black oily substance. Her once long, dark brown hair was singed and barely reached her ears. Her beautiful green eyes, which had always been a source of comfort and kindness had been replaced by two pits of cold rage. In her hand was a jade green bow taller than herself.

"I'm alright Jaune, the attack just caught everyone off guard. Hurry an-"

Jaune cut her off. "Mom, listen to me! Sable's out there figthing the Grimm!"

"So is every Huntsman in the village!"

"You don't understand! There's more of them! Coming from the north-east!"

"What! There's more?! How many did you see!"

"I don't know! She told me to run when she saw them but there were dozens, at least!"

"How far is she from the town?"

"Uh, a mile or two straight east. You have to send help, Mom! She's all alone out there!"

* * *

Sable noticed something peculiar about these Grimm. Judging by the size of some of them, they should have been at least a few decades old, maybe even a hundred, so they should have developed some semblance of self-preservation. Grimm like these were capable of retreating because they knew that they could survive to kill another day.

' _So why won't these bastards take a hint?!'_ she raged internally. She jumped over a Taijitu and in one fluid movement she separated the head from its body. The second head rushed at her in midair, but luckily she managed to twist around and shoot it before it could reach her. She landed on a Deathstalker and swiftly carved through its thick exoskeleton just before it could skewer her with its stinger. Unfortunately, she could only bring her arms in front of her as an Ursa Major swiped at her and sent her flying.

She impacted a tree several meters away. ' _Damn, I'm slowing down too much. And there seems to be plenty more of them'_ She was in a bad shape. She had already taken a few minor injuries like the long gash on her left leg from where a Beowolf got lucky. The wound had impeded her considerably and she coudn't spare the Aura to close it. Fortunately, the number of Grimm incoming seemed to be getting low. ' _I hope Jaune reached the village in time'_

She sprinted forwards, and sidestepped a Creep's feral charge before splitting it in half as it ran past. She backflipped over a Beowolf's claws, but an Ursa clawed at her from the front. In an amazing show of skill, Sable embedded one of her tonfas in the Beowolf's head, and used it to swing herself out of harm's way. Unfortunately she was too late in noticing the Deathstalker's pincer, coming from her left, intent on crushing her within its jaws. She brought up her Aura as high as she could manage and awaited impact.

But it never came.

A torrent of wind blasted past her and straight into the armored scorpion. It was lifted clean off its legs and was slammed into a pack of Beowolves. Sable landed on the spot where the Deathstalker just was. ' _Was that-'_ Her thoughts were cut off as the Ursa tried to reach her once more, but its claw was stopped by a shining blue, octagonal barrier.

"You are getting sloppy, Sable." a cold voice chimed from behind her. She turned and saw a young woman with dirty blonde hair step into view. She wore a blood red jacket over a maroon blouse, a black combat dress and red and black boots. In each hand she held a red-and-white folding fan about a foot long. A long gash on her forehead spoiled her otherwise perfect face. This was Sequoia Arc, the third daughter of the Arc family.

"Yeah, normally these bastards wouldn't even touch you. Must be losing your touch, eh?" A second voice piped up. The second woman looked identical to the first, except her long hair was tied up in a ponytail leaving large bangs over her face which was displaying a teasing smirk. Her attire consisted of steel-toed boots, very short cut-off jeans and a navy tank top. Her weapons were a pair of morningstars, each one as long as her leg. The handles were dark blue and were lined with several buttons. Bandages could be seen underneath her tank top and on her right shoulder. This girl was Iris Arc, Sequoia's younger twin sister.

"Sequoia! Iris!" Sable exclaimed with obvious relief, but that quickly changed to concern upon seeing their injuries. "What the hell happened to you two?!"

"You are not the only one that has been having difficulties." Sequoia told her.

"Where's Jaune? Did he get home safe?"

"Whoa, there, calm down. Pipsqueak's fine. He's the reason we were sent here. Let's save the Q&A for later. Now, we kill these ugly fuckers!" And with that proclamation Iris charged forward and with a mighty overhead swing, she brought both morningstars down onto a Deathstalker's back, making it cave in and killing it instantly. Before the other Grimm could even react, Iris erected three more blue barriers: one in front and one on each side, before pushing them outwards towards the Grimm, scattering their numbers and disorienting them further, before leaping at them like a wild tigress seeking her prey, bludgeoning and crushing everything within range.

"Despite her rashness, Iris is correct." Sequoia said calmly, a stark contrast to her younger twin. She twirled her battle fans, causing a breeze to swirl around them. "We must eliminate this group of Grimm and return to the village immediately. We shall explain the situation on our way back. For now, you must focus on recovering your strength. Trust me, sister, you will need it."

* * *

Jaune was currently in the underground bunker beneath town hall. He held a sleeping 5 year old to his chest with his right arm, and with his left he hugged his younger sisters close, trying to comfort them and stop their terrified sobbing. He didn't know what to tell them. He didn't know if things were alright, he didn't know if they would be okay. Within the steel bunker were dozens more people in a similar or worse state.

Near Jaune were a group of injured people, Huntsmen and civilian alike, being tended to by the town medics. The smell of blood disgusted Jaune, but not as much as the injuries themselves. He could see large lacerations, broken bones, severe burns, entire limbs missing, even dead bodies which were mercifully covered up. Every now and then another person would come in with a grievous injury and he could see that the medics were becoming overwhelmed. Jaune had the misfortune of seeing a Huntsman die of blood loss, but luckily he could shield his sisters' view by holding them to his chest. He felt like vomiting, but he needed to show strength for his sisters.

Over to the side, several people, sat in front of a large computer, which was the only source of light in the small shelter.

"What's the ETA on those Bullheads?" a young woman demanded through a headset. The woman was small, barely reaching five feet. Her hair was a blinding white and her eyes were red. Her skin was worryingly pale, the screen giving it an eerie blue glow. Her beautiful face was marred with anger and perspiration. This was Bianca Arc, the second child of the Arc family. Unlike her sisters, she did not train as a Huntress due to her fragile body. Instead, she developed a talent for science and technology. At the age of 19, she was already a pioneer in the field of radiocommunications, making several breakthroughs in the development of the Cross Continental Transmit System.

 **"Roughly 10 minutes,"** a crackling voice responded through the computer. **"Several swarms of Nevermores have slowed us down, but there don't seem to be anymore incoming."**

"What about land-based Grimm?"

 **"That's the strange thing. Far from the village the Grimm activity is normal, but once they get within thirty miles of Crystalcliff they're all desperate to reach the village. Even the older Grimm are rushing there. We've received similar reports from other incoming Bullheads."**

"What the hell can cause that kind of behavior?" a Huntsman muttered.

 **"At the moment, it's not my biggest priority. At least now we know the scope of this attack. How's the situation there? Any casualties?"** the voice in the computer asked.

At that question, all the Huntsmen, and Bianca grimaced. "Way too many. We never saw the attack coming. Half the Huntsmen here were already tired and injured from previous missions. A lot of the casualties were civilians who died in the panicked stampede to the bunker."

 **"How's Isabelle?"** this time, the voice was tinged with worry.

"She's outside, leading the defense of the bunker and the evacuation of any remaining civilians." Bianca replied, reassuring the voice. "And before you ask, Dad, the younger ones are safe. Sable, Sequoia and Iris are ot there too, assissting the defense. Dad... hurry. I don't know how much longer they can hold out."

* * *

"Long range fighters climb on the rooftops and take down the Nevermores and point out any patterns in Grimm movements! Everyone else focus on drawing their attention away from the town hall. Collapse the empty buildings to slow them down!" Isabelle continued to bark out orders, all the while shooting arrows into the incoming Grimm.

"Maia! We have a group of Sabres incoming, with a few Archsabres!" a Huntsman shouted with a terrified voice.

His dread was well-founded. Sabres were another species of avian Grimm. The resembled large flying lizards, with black leathery wings, and elongated beaks. They were not as sturdy as Nevermores, but they were much faster. They had large talons, each the size of a grown man, and sharp enough to slice through stone. Each one could grow to up to ten feet in height.

Archsabres were even more terrifying. They are an older and larger subspecies of Sabre. Each one was over three times the size of their little brothers. They were identical to Sabres, but they had armored, spiked spines and to top it all off, they had the ability to breathe fire.

"Oh shit," Maia breathed out. "Everybody scatter! Whatever you do, don't let them near the hall! Aim for their necks and the chinks in their armor!" She then took a small metal cartridge which expanded into an arrow. Within a second she notched the arrow, took aim and fired. The arrow screamed as it flew and embedded itself in an Archsabre's neck and exploded with a dull boom. Despite the concussive force, it did nothing but divert its attention and cause it to dive dowards her.

Pressing a switch on her bow, it straightened out, and became a double sided warglaive. Twirling her weapon she charged towards it. With an amazing show of speed, she nimbly evaded the pillar of flame it shot at her and using its beak as a springboard, she somersaulted over its head and jammed her glaive in the chink between its neckplates. Concentrating, Maia caused her blade to vibrate rapidly and glow and sunk it deeper in its neck. The Archsabre screeched in pain and began to spiral out of control, and with a careful application of force, Maia sent it careening into several Sabres, sending them down. too.

In spite of this incredible display of skill, Maia saw that she had only managed to down a handful of the Sabres. Huntsmen on the rooftops attempted to shoot them down, but were overwhelmed by their sheer numbers.

 _'Where the hell are those Bullheads?'_ she thought angrily. _'If they take any longer, we won't have time to evacuate everyone '_

"Mother!", a voice exclaimed, just before a spinning red disk flew past her head and decapitated an Ursa Major behind her. The circle curved around and sliced through several more Grimm around her before returning to its wielder's hand. The disk shrunk revealing its true form to be a battle-fan.

"Girls! I'm glad you three are alright." Maia said with obvious relief.

"I don't think 'alright' is a good word to descibe us at the moment." Iris said wryly. "How's the evac goin'?"

"Much too slowly. All civilians are in the hall now and awaiting the Bullheads. According to Bianca, they should be here by now but-" a beeping from her scroll cut her off. She put her scroll on speaker. "Yes, Bianca, what's the news?"

 **"Mom, the Bullheads just reached town, but the landing pads are overrun with Grimm. They can only hover and drop the ladders, and only for a short time since they'll be vulnerable to aerial attacks."**

As if on cue, a large rattling sound rang out, and a large number of Nevermores were peppered with Dust-infused rounds. The Huntsmen turned their heads and saw half a dozen Bullheads swooping in, their guns making short work of entire clusters of Grimm.

"Alright, tell the pilots to hover over the town hall and lead the civilians up there. We'll make sure that they don't get near while they're boarding." She hung up the scroll and turned to face the surrounding Huntsmen. "Well, you heard her! Everyone start moving to the hall! Don't let the Grimm anywhere near those Bullheads!"

* * *

"Everybody move up to the roof." Bianca commanded. "All Huntsmen, once we get up there take out any flying Grimm. Ground forces will be handled by the Huntsmen outside."

Immediately, everyone began to make their way out of the bunker. Anyone too injured too walk was supported by the medics. Jaune faced his sisters, Coral and Lavender, who were still sniffling. "Girls, we'll have to go now. We're going to be okay now."

"B-but what about the monsters?" Carol asked tearfully. The girl was only 8 years old. She had long platinum-blonde hair tied in a ponytail on the left side of her head. Her large green eyes were tinted with redness and were framed by tears. She wore an bright orange sundress, but it was ruined by numerous scorch marks and dirt stains.

"Do you really think Mom and our big sisters will let the monsters near us? You know they're all super-strong."

"If they're so strong, why do we have to run away?" Lavender was the one who posed this difficult question. She was identical to her sister, except she tied her ponytail on the right side. She wore a purple long-sleeved shirt and an indigo skirt. Her eyes, were far more composed than her sister's, but Jaune could see sadness and fear bleed through.

"Well," Jaune tried to think of an answer, "it's like those hero movies you and Iris like so much. The good guys can't fight all out until they know that their families are safe. So once we leave, Mom and our sisters will take the Grimm out easily."

Seeing that his sisters were somewhat placated by the explanation, he stood up, his youngest sister, Magenta, still dozing on his shoulder, and led Coral and Lavender to join the line of evacuees.

"Jaune!" He turned around and saw Bianca catching up to him. She glanced down at her sisters behind Jaune clutching at his shirt. "How are the girls doing?" she whispered to him.

"I think they're OK. But they're scared, sis, and frankly speakng, they should be. They-no, _we_ need to get out of here." Jaune whispered back, trying to hide his own terror.

Bianca wasn't fooled, but decided not to call him on it. "Don't you worry guys. We'll be up and away within fifteen minutes. You'll be glad to know that Dad leading the rescue."

That fact made all of the children's eyes light up. "Daddy's coming?" Coral asked hopefully.

"Oh yeah. In fact he should be up there by now. That reminds me, you girls have never flown, have you?" she asked the girls. Their green eyes flashed with excitement. Bianca then proceeded to explain to them, in simple terms of course, how Bullheads fly and how she helped make one at her company. Jaune gave Bianca a grateful look for distracting them from their fear.

Soon enough they reached the door to the roof. The leading Huntsman opened the door, and an orchestra of death greeted them. Coral and Lavender immediately covered their ears, whimpering, and Magenta woke up on Jaune's shoulders and began crying. The edge of the roof were lined with Huntsmen, shooting down at the Grimm attempting to breach the town hall. Jaune could see several Huntsmen jumping off the Bullheads and assissting their exhausted comrades below. Over a dozen Bullheads were hovering two or three meters over the roof with steel rope ladders hanging down.

"All of you, climb up to the Bullheads as quick as you can!" Even without Bianca's command, the terrified villagers scrambled up the rope ladders. Jaune quickly ushered his sisters forward and let them climb onto the nearest Bullhead first. Once the twins were safely aboard, making sure Magenta was holding tight, he began to climb up the ladder. He made his way up and reached up towards the Huntsman's hand-

 _ **"INCOMING!"**_

The warning came too late. Jaune was just fast enough to retract his hand and wrap it around the still-crying Magenta before a high-pitched wail rang out as the Bullhead was knocked aside. The Huntsman at the door lost his balance and fell to the ground. The ladder rocked violently inflicting horrible nausea to Jaune as he desperately held onto the ladder with one hand. He closed his eyes as a particularly violent swing caused Jaune's feet to lose their grip. He could make out voices all around him.

" -the hell is going on?!"

"An Archsabre has grabbed hol-"

"-Sabres incoming!"

"Shoot them down!"

"Fly low! Get the Huntsm-"

"JAUNE! Don't let go!"

"-ASEFIRE! You'll hit the engines!"

Jaune's eyes opened, and he immediately wished he didn't. The ground below was spinning and seemed to be getting closer.

"JAUNE!" He recognized that voice, it was his father, Jacques. "Son, prepare to let go of the ladder when the Bullhead's low enough! We'll be ready to catch you!"

Jaune could not respond to the instruction, but he heeded the words. He trusted his father. He tightened his hold on Magenta and kept track of their current height, which was fluctuating erratically due to the Archsabre's grip. ' _Fifty feet, forty, thirty-'_

"JAUNE! NOW!"

' _What the hell, thirty feet is good enough.'_ With that thought, Jaune released his hold and angled his back to the ground. He wrapped his arms around Magenta and felt his body fall head first. In the corner of his eye, his father was running up to him, preparing to jump. Jacques clambered onto a fallen building and leapt more than twenty feet up, perfectly aligned to catch him and Magenta.

But he was too late. A split second before his father caught him, Jaune was snatched away by a swooping Sabre. Trapped within the avian's grip, its talons digging painfully into his skin, he turned his head and saw his father and several Huntsmen in very close pursuit, but with their speed they couldn't hope to catch up to the Sabre. Squirming within the Grimm's grasp, he managed to free his upper body. Looking around he saw that they were flying low and were approaching the village boundaries. He also saw that there were no aerial Grimm around them...

 _Aura can be used for offense by augmenting one's own body_

Jaune turned to the weeping child in his arms. "Maggie, listen to me. Do you trust me?" Seeing the little girl's tiny nod he continued, "Okay, hold on to me as tight as you can and close your eyes for me will you?" Magenta was reluctant, but complied.

Jaune closed his eyes too and concentrated on his Aura. He had recovered a decent amount while resting in the bunker, but now he'll need every drop. He drew on his reserves and channelled them into his arms, but instead of releasing it, he kept it there. He continued to compact as much Aura as he could into them, his thin muscles visibly straining. Once he could hold on no longer, his sapphire eyes snapped open, shining with power. With a mighty yell, the boy brought his glowing fists together and smashed it as hard as he could into the Sabre's talon.

The talon shattered. The two children through the gap before the grip could tighten. They were free. But Jaune miscalculated.

If he had had his eyes open, he would have seen that the Sabre had ascended to sixty feet. He would have seen that the pursuing Huntsmen were over a hundred metres away. He would have seen that they had flown over the town walls, and as a result they were now plummeting into the famed canyon of Crystalcliff.

Making a split-second decision, he quickly kissed Magenta on the forehead and said to her, "I love you, Maggie." before using the last bit of his Aura to throw her towards the Huntsmen.

As he fell into the gorge, the last of his strength draining, his wounds from the Sabre bleeding, Jaune Arc had time for one last thought.

' _At least I died a hero'_

Then the world turned red.

 **Author's note: First story ever. Constructive reviews appreciated. Flames shall be ignored.**


	2. Chapter 2: Fangs of Darkness

Lifeblood

 **Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY, just a no-name amateur.**

 **Chapter 2: Fangs of Darkness**

 **"How's the situation there?"**

"We've managed to kill all the Grimm, and there don't seem to be anymore incoming. The evacuees get to Vale safe?"

 **"All of the Bullheads arrived safely. The injured were all taken to Vale Hospital for treatment. Unfortunately seven Huntsmen and thirteen civilians were pronounced DOA and several more are still in critical condition."** The voice on the scroll seemed to hesitate. **"Jacques... I'm sorry to hear about your son."**

Jacques' face retained its stony expression, but one could see his fists clenching tightly. "You speak as if he's already dead. The search teams haven't found anything, so don't presume anything. Sable told me that Jaune had had his Aura unlocked. He could've survived."

 **"Jacques... a child, even with Aura couldn't possibly withstand the rivers of Crysta-"**

"ENOUGH, OZPIN! We will not speak anymore of this, do you understand?" Jacques snarled into the scroll. He didn't want to think that his only son was gone. He didn't want to be reminded of his failure to save him. They didn't say anything, but he knew his family blamed him for Jaune's d- disappearance. It was a miracle that Jaune had managed to bring Magenta to safety. Maia was barely holding together as it is. His family was fractured, in mourning and it was his fault.

 **"I apologize, old friend."** Ozpin wisely changed the subject, sensing Jacques' grief. **"How bad are the damages to Crystalcliff?"**

Jacques made a grimace. "Extensive. The southern half of the town will have to be rebuilt completely. The northern half didn't suffer as badly, mostly fire damage. Thankfully, my daughters took out the small horde coming from the east, otherwise, the Huntsmen would have been completely blindsided."

 **"Is this line secure?"**

Jacques pressed a button on his scroll. "It is now."

 **"Jacques... You know that this attack was no freak accident. I saw the reports, from the Bullhead pilots, and there's only one thing I know of that can coordinate Grimm like that."**

"I know, Ozpin. That's why immediately after the town was secured, I checked the safeguards."

 **"And?"**

"They were ripped to shreds. They weren't bypassed, something tore right through them." His voice cracked, dread seeping into his voice. "It's back, Ozpin. And it's got the Map."

* * *

Pain. That was the first thing that registered in Jaune's mind. It wasn't excruciating, but it's dull throbbing nagged at him and pushed him to consciousness. Blue eyes opened, and closed immediately, unable to withstand the harsh sunlight. Stretching out his senses he heard several sets of footsteps and felt a gentle breeze. He was moving, on a vehicle, maybe? His mouth felt like sandpaper in his mouth and his throat was bone-dry. A soft hand came to hold his head and held a cup of water to his mouth. He gratefully took greedy mouthfuls, nearly gagging from swallowing too fast.

"Easy there, little boy. We have plenty more where that came from." A soothing, female voice said to him.

A minute or two later, his eyes adjusted, and he was able to sit up and look around. He looked down and saw that he was sitting in a horse-cart. Outside the cart he could see trees with red leaves. Behind him, driving the cart was an old man, with grey hair peeking out under a gray hat and a thick beard. Sitting to his left was a woman. She had long dark brown hair that pooled around her knees. Her brown eyes were warm and filled with concern. But to Jaune, her most distinguishing feature was the pair of long ears on her head. _'A rabbit Faunus, huh?'_ He looked down and say that he was wearing an old and faded shirt and jeans.

Seeing his confusion, the woman spoke up again. "I'm sorry, but I just couldn't let you stay in those dreadful clothes. I know that these aren't much better, but your old ones ripped and caked with dried blood. Strange thing is, you don' seem to be bleeding at all. What happened to you-Hey what's wrong, boy? Boy?"

Jaune couldn't hear her though. He lurched forward, clutching his head in his hands, his memories all coming at once. Fire... death... blood... Grimm... Maggie!

 _'Oh, God, Maggie!'_ Jaune anguished, _'I left her, threw her into that fiery pit! With those soulless monsters! Did I kill her? NO! I did the right thing, she would have died! Dad was there, wasn't he? With a bunch of other Huntsmen! He would've caught her right?'_ Jaune tried to reassure himself desperately, but to no avail. _'But what if he was too far?! And we were too high up! He couldn't cathc me. Another one of those bird-Grimm could have flown in and-'_ His line of thinking was cut off when he began to vomit up what little he had in his stomach. Luckily a bucket was pushed in front of him, and absently he could feel the woman rubbing his back.

"Let it out, little boy... Better out than in, I always say."

He spent several minutes hunched over the bucket, letting the tears fall. _'No. No, no, no! I can't think like that. Maggie's alive, and she's with Mom and Dad, and Coral, Lavender, Iris, Sequoia, Bianca and Sable. I know they evacuated on time.'_ But his thoughts rang hollow within his mind.

At this point Jaune had calmed down and sat up straight. "Thank you." He managed to rasp out, his throat still sore.

"Don't worry, I've seen much worse."

"Where... Where am I?"

"Forever Fall." This time it was the driver's gruff voice that spoke to him. "In case yer wondering, we found ya outside the forest, with half yer face in a river. Been asleep for a day or so."

Despite the answer, Jaune grew even more confused. "Forever Fall, where is that?"

"You've never heard of this forest? Where do you come from exactly?" the woman asked him.

"Crystalcliff. It's a village north-east of Vale."

"Oh? Yer from that little village? Hmm, Vale, huh? Well, you're in luck, kid. Vale's only a week's ride from here. And it just so happens that our caravan's on the way there. You can stick with us."

"Caravan? You're merchants?" Travelling merchants weren't that uncommon. There were many small villages dotted around Vale, who simply can't afford regular Bullhead deliveries. Crystalcliff, despite its importance as a Huntsmen outpost, was still supported by merchants, who were licensed by the Vale council to travel between villages in exchange for a special tax. The caravans were usually protected though... "Where's the Huntsmen assigned to protect you guys?"

"Huntsmen? Pfft, like we need any of 'em here!" the driver snorted.

"B-but every merchant caravan is assigned a Huntsman for-" Then Jaune's mind clicked. "You're unlicensed merchants! That's illegal! Besides, traders can't enter Vale without a license and a Huntsman for verification!"

"Relax kid, it's not as if anyone's gettin' hurt. People like us got our own ways around. The only people losin' out are those greedy money-grabbin' council bast-"

"Dad..." the woman warned.

"Sorry, Poppy. Anyway... Kid, we'll bring ya to Vale, but I'm not helpin' ya for free, got that? While yer with us, ya pitch in, or I chuck ya in another river."

"Of course, sir! Thank you, sir! I promise I'll help any way I-"

 _GRRROOOOOOHHH!_

Jaune blushed, Poppy giggled, and the driver outright laughed.

"Well, ya heard the brat, Poppy! Come to think of it, I wouln't mind some grub meself! And kid, none of that 'sir' crap. It's Davy, got it?"

* * *

A few days after that, the caravan were still in the forest. The other members of the caravan have proven to be pleasant people. Jaune didn't really know what to expect, from people who were- for all intents and purposes- criminals, but they didn't seem malicious. They _were_ giving him a lift to Vale, and for that he was grateful.

As Davy promised, Jaune was kept busy. Tending the horses, pitching tents, gathering firewood. Even on the move, there was something that needed doing. But Jaune didn't mind the chores. They were a much needed distraction.

Jaune was currently in a sleeping bag, generously provided by Poppy, and was attempting to sleep. He thought that with all the work he did that he might get to sleep tonight.

He was wrong.

 _Don't let go!_

 _JAUNE! NOW!_

 _I love you, Maggie._

His eyes snapped open. It was useless. Every time he closed his eyes he returned to the flames of Crystalcliff. He could hear the screams, he could see the broken bodies in the streets, smell the blood and ash in the air. Each memory was a horrifying reminder of his failures, his worst nightmares, tormenting him over and over again.

"Can't sleep, huh kid?." he looked up, and saw that Davy had walked into the tent. He had a cigar in his mouth, and his hat was gone, leaving his rabbit-ears out. He plopped down next to him. He rummaged through the inside of his coat and pulled out a silver flask. He popped it open and took a drink. He offered it to him.

"Uh... what is it?"

"Lemonade. Ya need to loosen up. It'll help ya sleep. Just don't tell Poppy, 'kay?"

Jaune hesitated for a few moments, before tentatively reaching for the flask. He brought it to his mouth and quickly gulped down the liquid.

Immediately he started hacking, his throat burning, while Davy chortled. When Jaune's eyes stopped watering he glared at him. "I thought you said it's lemonade."

"Oh, there's some lemonade in there." he chuckled as he took back the flask and took another swig. "So kid, what's keepin' you up."

"Nothing."

"The same kind of nothing that put a brat like in a mud bath, covered in blood, a hundred miles from home? What's yer story?"

"It's none of your business!"

Davy gave a long-suffering sigh, as if he expected the outburst. "Look, kid, I get that it's a touchy subject. The bucket still smells from when ya puked in it. But bottlin' it up won't do ya good. It eats at ya, and sooner or later, it'll be more than just upchucking yer guts-"

"How would you know? How could you possibly know what I'm going through?" Jaune snapped. He was seething inside. How dare this man think he could relate to him? He was a smuggler! A criminal! Even now he would risk his own daughter's life and for what? So he can make some money without having to pay a stupid tax?

Davy said nothing for a few moments, just continued puffing on his cigar. Jaune knew the old man was angry, but he couldn't stop himself. The silence became unbearable. He was about to apologize when Davy spoke again, his voice was a barely louder than a whisper. "Ya got the same eyes I did, way back when. The eyes that've seen far too much, far too early. The eyes that belong to some schmuck thinkin' he screwed up so bad he's teeterin' on the edge of givin' up, but just can't do it yet. If you look 'round this camp, I guarantee you'll see that half of 'em have eyes that look exactly the same, Poppy included. Whatever yer story, I'm sure I've heard worse."

He turned to face Jaune. "I ain't gonna tell ya it'll get better, 'cos it won't. But I got some free advice kid. Whatever's anchorin' ya on the edge, the thing keepin' you from givin' up? Never lose it. I know ya have somethin', but yer hold on it is weak. You'll get nowhere like that. It's the only thing that'll let ya live with what ya did." He took a few more sips from the flask before thrusting it to him.

"Well, time for my watch. Hide that, will ya? Poppy's comin' soon." And with that he stood and walked away.

Jaune sat there for a few minutes, not really doing anything, just thinking.

"I'm sorry about my father." He turned to see Poppy walking into the tent. "I know he can seem rather callous, but I can't deny the fact that he's correct." She knelt down next to him and bagan unrolling her sleeping bag. "I don't know what happened to you, or what you've lost, but I agree that you _do_ still have something to live for."

"...Who was it?"

"Hmm?" Poppy turned to him, her head tilted.

"Who did he lose?" Jaune realised that it might be somewhat tactless, but he needed to know.

Poppy gave him a rueful smile. She didn't seem to be offended. "It was my mom. She-" She paused, struggling to form the words."She was a trader, too. It was a routine job, just carting some goods between a couple of towns, nothing big. They never saw the Grimm coming. It wasn't uncommon. When it happens, we just shoot them or run like hell if there's too many. But these were airborne Grimm. We lost a lot of good men and women before we made it to the trees." Her tone was filled with melancholy, but no tears fell. Jaune wondered how can someone sound so sad, without crying.

Jaune couldn't say anything. He just stared down into his lap, with his fists clenched so hard the knuckles turned white. His emotions were a mess. He felt guilt, certainly, for snapping at Davy, but it was grossly overshadowed by anger and confusion.

"So why are you still out here? He's already lost his wife, and he's lost his friends. You've lost your mom! Why would you continue to risk your lives like this?"

Poppy said nothing, she just continued to look at him for a while, making him uncomfortable. After what felt like ages, she let out a sigh and plopped down next to him. She pulled a scrap of paper and handed it to him. "I don't think he'll mind if I told you. I wasn't kidding when I said he knew what he's talking about."

The photo was old, and had creases all over, a sign that it has been folded and unfolded many times. There were many children in the photo, and he noticed that they were all Faunus. One girl stuck out. She was nearly identical to Poppy, right down to the long rabbit ears, but she was younger, closer to Jaune's age.

"The one in the middle is my younger sister. Her name's Velvet. She's 14 now, though she's still a bit small for her age. At the moment, she's working two part-time jobs, all the while attending a combat school and helping out at the shelter. In a few years she'll graduate and apply to Beacon Academy to train to be a Huntress." Poppy didn't even try to hide the pride in her voice as she spoke.

"So, what? You're out here risking your life to put her through school?"

"Exactly." Seeing his confusion, she continued. "Besides, even with the danger, we're the ones depending on Velvet, not the other way around."

"What are you talking about?"

"...I forgot. I knew you live in a small village, but I didn't think you would be this sheltered." She sighed. "Jaune, what's the big difference between you and me?. "

Jaune looked at her and spotted her ears twitching on her head. "You're a Faunus?" he asked uncertainly.

"It seems you truly don't know what that means." She looked at him, contemplating her next words carefully. "Jaune, you should know that in Vale, even in Remnant in general, there is great discrimination towards the Faunus. It is extremely difficult for any Faunus to make a decent living, including trying to get a trading license from the Council. We have tried."

Jaune wore an expression of disbelief. "But the Faunus Rights Legis-"

"I know what the law says Jaune. But words on a piece of paper can't wipe out centuries of hate and racism." Her eyes swiveled towards him, filled with a fierce anger, emotion that he never expected to come from her. "You're young, but you've seen too much for anyone to keep treating you with kid gloves, so I'll say it to you straight. The Faunus are hated, shunned, mocked, disgraced, attacked, even in broad daylight, and not nearly enough people are doing anything about it.

"But Velvet can change that for us. There's no discrimination against the Huntsmen. I mean, nobody wants to anger the people who could save your life. Not to mention, the pay for missions is quite sizable. She's talented, and I know that she'll go far. And when she does we'll be free from this life." She turned to him, the kindness returning to her previously furious eyes. "You're still young, Jaune. My Dad, and Velvet, they're all I have. But you still have so much left to live for." She fell silent, looking at the fire.

 _'Something to live for, huh?'_ He thought of the other merchants in the caravan. They did look sad, defeated even. But as he looked into Poppy's eyes, there was a sliver of hope, a dream of a better future. A resolve that could not be extinguished.

Was it really that simple? To cling to some vague promise of salvation? Could he really forgive himself that easily and find something to strive for?

Poppy stared at his face, watching the conflict in his eyes. "Jaune, whatever mistake you made, or even think you made, giving up now would only be your true failure." With nothing left to say, she crawled into her sleeping bag and turned away from him.

 _Maggie,_ he thought. _You_ _ **are**_ _alive, just like the rest of my family. I have to believe in that, if nothing else. They're waiting for me, in Vale. I will see them again._ "I'll see you guys again." he whispered into the night air. His resolve strengthened, and a goal confirmed, his eyes finally began to slumber.

Eyes closed in her sleeping bag, Poppy smiled.

* * *

"How big is this forest?" Jaune asked, hoping his voice didn't sound too whiny. The caravan had been trudging along for two days and there didn't seem to be an end to the curtain of red leaves.

"Well, the forest itself covers a fifth of the Vale continent. We've been travelling for about three days so we're about..." Poppy cocked her head to the side, doing some mental calculations. "Halfway there, I would say. We should be out of Forever Fall by tomorrow at this speed, and Vale city is another day west at least."

"That long, huh?"

"The horses get tired too Jaune. This journey's a marathon, not a sprint."

"I get that. You know, I've been meaning to ask, why are there so few Grimm around here?" Hoping to have no Grimm encounter them at all would just be unrealistic, but they've only come across three low-level Grimm so far, and they were quickly dispatched by the merchants' firearms.

"It's cos of them Huntsmen at Beacon." Davy piped up next to them. "Every year, Beacon sends their firs' years 'round here as some kinda field trip. Grimm have learned it's best not to stick around. These days, every merchant caravan uses this route, unlicensed or otherwise." Things were still a bit tense between them since Jaune snapped at him, and he was too embarassed to apologise, but they were at least civil.

"Sometimes we even meet fully licensed Huntsmen along the way." Poppy chimed in. "They're always in the middle of some mission to exterminate a nest of Grimm or something. They even stick around sometimes."

"I remember this one bloke, can't remember his name." Davy let out a laugh at his memories. "This guy, ya shoulda seen him. He looked ready to keel over."

"What was wrong with him?" Jaune asked worriedly.

"He was trashed!" Davy guffawed even louder at his shocked face. "He drank like a fish and slept like one too! Ya remember him darlin'?" He turned to Poppy

Poppy's smile became strained. "Unfortunately, yes. A pitiful excuse for a Huntsman if you ask me."

"Yer just mad that he tried to peek up yer skirt." Even Jaune giggled at Poppy's reddening face. "Ya gotta admit, though, he was strong! Swung that sword like it was noth-" he stopped and froze.

And so did every Faunus in the caravan. Jaune turned to Davy in confusion, and saw his ears twitch beneath his hat, and his face twisted into a mask of anger.

"Huh? What's wrong? Is it Grimm?"

"Much worse, lad. Get in the back, behind the crates, quickly." he ordered.

Jaune, startled by the seriousness in the old man's voice, quickly clambered into the cart and shuffled behind the crates. "Why can't we just run away?"

"Won't help. They got us surrounded. Now shut up and stay down!"

The cart stopeed, and Jaune could hear the others in the caravan halt as well. For what seemed like hours, Jaune fought the urge to peek outside. The silence was finally broken.

"Well, look at what we have here." a gruff voice spoke out. His voice was accompanied by several sets of footsteps and metallic clicks.

"We want no trouble here, brother." Davy's serious voice responded.

"Brother?" the other voice scoffed. "You have the nerve to call me that while associating yourself with these... _humans_?" the way he said the last word as if it was the most disgusting curse he could think of.

"They're just travelers, traders like the rest of us. No-one here needs to get hurt over this. I'm sure we can all come to an agreement."

"Don't even try your sales pitch on me, old man. Your little band of misfits are here on our terms, and you'll leave on our terms only."

"I understand that perfectly. This isn't the first time we've come across the White Fang, and we've always parted peacefully." White Fang? Jaune had heard that name before. His parents had discussed them before. They were a Faunus rights organization, weren't they? Why were they acting so hostile to Davy?

"Oh, I know all about the little side-deals. Safe passage in exchange for some of your merchandise. We've always allowed it because we can understand your hardships and we could always use the goods. But there's been a recent change. Certain events have seen the need for us to... expand our organization."

"...Ya wanna hire us?" Davy's voice carried an undertone of surprise.

"Of course. You have your ways in and out of the cites, and possess maps of all major trade routes in Vale. The White Fang have already taken in others like you." The gruff voice paused for a bit. "But I think you misunderstood. We don't need _all_ of you." Another series of steps getting closer. "We can forgive you associating with them, if" Another round of mechanical clicking was heard. "you agree to get rid of them now."

A pause. "And if we refuse?"

Suddenly the air was filled by a loud metallic whirring, something that reminded Jaune of a car engine. "You would betray your kind, for these humans? You should know that whatever you choose, those humans will die. The only real choice you get is whether or not you join them. We don't need cowards in the White Fang."

A tense silence fell, the only being the strange rumbling, and the wind through the forest.

Then Davy spoke. "No deal." Then chaos descended.

A chorus of gunshots exploded from everywhere at once, and a millisecond later the carriage lurched forwards. Grunts of pain rang out from behind them, but the sounds were drowned out by the galloping of the horses.

"OPEN FIRE! Aim for the horses!" the voice bellowed out in rage.

"KID, get up front!" Davy yelled, and Jaune obeyed quickly.

"What's happening?" he asked fearfully.

"We're in a load of shit is what's happenin'! Keep yer head down!" As if on cue, gunshots rattled behind them, making the wooden carriage splinter and crack. "Fuck! We won't last long like this! Jaune, get on one of the horses! Poppy, you're with him! You know the drill!"

Jaune clumsily climbed on the horse on the left, which was even more difficult considering the carriage is still moving very quickly and there was no saddle on the horse but there were reins at least. He almost fell, but luckily, Poppy was right behind him and steadied him. Beside them, Davy had climbed on the horse next to them. Davy reached behind them and released the carriage. The carriage creaked behind them, just in time, as the wheels were taken out by a spray of bullets.

"What about the others?!" Jaune yelled to Davy.

"They're doin' the same thing! Worry 'bout yerself now!" Davy unholstered his shot gun and began shooting behind him. "Head for the trees! We'll have a better chance of dodgin' 'em!"

Jaune tightened his hold on the horse just in time, as it veered violently into the tree line. He risked a glance behind them, over Poppy's arms and saw their followers. There were three of them. The two on the sides wore what looked like a black jumpsuit with the hood up under a white chestplate, as well as a white and red mask that looked eerily like Grimm masks. Each of them held a red-and-black rifle.

The one in the middle was taller, and more well-built. He wore the same uniform, but with the sleeves ripped off and his masked covered his entire face. In his hands he held a chainsaw that was at least as tall as he was.

A loud noise split the air, and one of the pursuers stumbled, but was otherwise unharmed. ' _Aura'_ Jaune's eyes widened in horror. _'They can use Aura'_

Red leaves flew past Jaune as they bounded through the forest, the three men in relentless pursuit. Any attempt to fire on them was thwarted by the dense trees and bumpy undergrowth, but that meant Davy couldn't aim at them properly either.

An uneasy stalemate was achieved, with neither side gaining ground. The horses weaving through the trees with the White Fang, sprinting close behind. This was now a fight of attrition, a race to see which will be depleted first, the horses' stamina, or the White Fang's Aura.

However, Davy was not leaving it to chance. He took out something red from inside his coat. "You two prepare to brace yerselves!" He tossed it towards their pursuers. While it was in mid-air, Jaune saw what it was: a red Dust crystal about the size of his finger. He tracked its motion, and saw the surprise in the White Fang's eyes. The leader swung his chainsaw to knock it away with the side of the blade, but he reacted too late.

With a resounding crack, the smuggler's shotgun rounds pelted the crystal, and the forest was consumed by fire. A deafening explosion tore through the trees, the force bearing down on all of them, and a searing heat could be felt on Jaune's back, even with Poppy behind him.

"It's not over yet! That might've taken out the grunts, but the big ones tougher! He'll catch up to us soon!"

"Dad, we have to get to flat ground; the horses can't take much more of this!"

"If we get out in the open, we'll be sittin' ducks! We'll have to head deeper into the forest."

"We can't risk the horses being injured he- WHOA!" Jaune heard the spray of bullets, and saw a splash of red, just as they were catapulted off of the wounded animal. Jaune instinvtively activated his Aura to shield him from the impact, but Poppy had no such protection. She hit the ground hard, her arms coming up in front of her as she landed. She collided with a tree trunk shoulder first, and a sickening crunch could be heard.

Poppy screamed in pain, clutching her shoulder. Jaune picked himself up and ran over to her. Davy quickly began to turn his horse around and was galloping towards them. Jaune almost reached her before he saw the terror in her eyes. Without thinking, he dropped to the ground, but still received a long gash on his back from shoulder to shoulder. Without his Aura, he would've been surely cut in half.

He turned as he fell, landing painfully on his back, bleeding profusely. Poppy crawled over to him, in immense pain, and tears at the corner of her eyes. He lifted his head and saw the chainsaw wielder raise his weapon. Jaune closed his eyes as he swung down-

"GET AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER, YA BASTARD!" Jaune's eyes flew open, just in time to see the White Fang member get hit by a 600-kilo horse. He was launched into a tree a several metres away, the impact splintering the wood. Dazed, he stood, his steps wobbly and uneven.

"You two get on the horse, quick!" Poppy and Jaune managed to stand and walk over to the horse. Poppy used her good arm to help Jaune, who was still bleeding but was using his Aura to slowly heal, onto the horse before attempting to climb up herself with great difficulty. Davy was in the middle of reloading his shotgun when the White Fang member spoke.

"... Protecting a human... trying to kill your kind... you're all traitors to your own kind."

"You've lost now, brother. Why follow us all this way? We're just a bunch o' smugglers. We have nothin' ya couldn't possibly get yerselves."

"We're fighting a war... a revolution! You're with us or against us, no middle ground. If you do nothing, you're just as bad as our oppressors!" he shouted. "You, a coward skulking in the shadows will never understan-"

 _ **RRRAAAAAAAAAHHHH!**_

"Oh _fuck,_ " Davy muttered under his breath. "Pop, get the hell on!

Even with the dizziness of blood loss, Jaune recognized what that sound was. His dreams were plagued with that sound. He knew that only death and despair could result from that sound. Jaune turned his head and saw a mass of black, white and red. There were only about a few dozen of them, but they were in no condition to face them. Davy clutched the reins and spurred the horse forward, leaving the White Fang member behind, slashing at the Grimm like a madman.

Davy drove the horse forward, weaving past the beasts, but Jaune could feel them slowing. The horse could not support their combined weight. They could not escape and slowly but surely the Grimm were catching up, and Davy's shotgun could only take out so many.

Then it happened, the horse stumbled, only for a fraction of a second, but enough for it to lose control and knock itself against a tree and collapse in a heap. Luckily, the impact wasn't as jarring as the last time, and they were not thrown far. However, their relief was short-lived. A Beowolf leapt at them, intent on knocking them down, crushing them within its arms, and feasting on their flesh.

Within a split second, Davy had leapt up in front of the Beowolf and thrust his gun in its face right before he pulled the trigger. Its head was blown clean off, and its already dissolving corpse slumped to the ground. A quick barrage of shots took care of the other Beowulves nearby. But he was off in his timing. The first Beowolf had already swung its arms, driving its crooked claw through his body.

"DAD!"

Davy's arm was gone from the shoulder down. A deep gash was tor through his chest. Crimson liquid spurted from both wounds with alarming speed. Davy coughed, spewing blood all over himself. "You two... get the hell out of here!"

"B-but..."

"Don't you dare argue with me!" He didn't bother turning to them, instead reloading his shotgun and facing the incoming Grimm. "Kid, get her outta here, now!"

Jaune couldn't say anything. He stood, still bleeding from the attack from the White Fang, taking Poppy's arm with him, forcing her to stand. "Poppy... we have to go now." His voice was small and numb, his movements stiff, almost mechanical. "We have to leave." He began to pull her away, at first slowly, then with greater force, resorting to using his Aura to drag her away from her dying father.

"Jaune, let go of me!" Poppy was openly crying now, nearly kicking at Jaune.

"...Sorry, darling, but I think it's time for me to retire. We've both prepared for somethin' like this." Poppy would've dropped to her knees without Jaune holding her up. "You can survive, I know it. Go back to Velvet."

"Dad, I..."

"NOW!" Poppy stood there, for what seemed like forever, before gathering her resolve.

"Don't die on me, old man." She gripped Jaune's hand tight, before taking off into the forest.

Davy watched them go from the corner of his eye, a smirk forming on his lips. "Last words to yer dear ol' dad, and that's all ya say?" He snorted, before breaking out into a cough.. "Well, not like I can come up with anythin' better." He reached into his bloodied coat and took out another Dust crystal, much larger than the one he used earlier. He let out a sigh.

"Shouldn't have given the kid my whiskey. Might as well go out with a bang, eh?" The smuggler cocked his shotgun and pressed the barrel to the crystal. The Grimm were but a few metres away, near enough that he could see their menacing, bloodthirsty eyes. "COME ON, YA UGLY MOTHERFUCKERS! I'LL TAKE YER SOULLESS CORPSES TO HELL WITH ME!"

* * *

Jaune and Poppy were running through the forest, Jaune behind Poppy, making sure she doesn't lose her balance due to her arm. The wound on his back was still bleeding badly, but his Aura was keeping him on his feet. Out of nowhere a massive explosion could be heard, its roar thundering through Forever Fall. Jaune turned to see a column of smoke and fire rising to touch the sky.

"Poppy..." he looked at her, and saw that she was still running. He caught up with her and tried again. "Poppy, I'm-"

"We have to keep moving Jaune. That could've attracted more of them." He couldn't see her face, but her voice was cold, sharp and left no room for discussion.

Jaune said nothing for a while, just continued running alongside her. "Right, let's go."

The two ran through the trees in silence, leaving behind the bellows of Grimm, and scorched leaves swirling through the crimson forest.

 **Like it? Hate it? Please review and tell me!**


	3. Chapter 3: Reunions

Lifeblood

 **Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own RWBY, or its characters. Just this little story.**

 **Chapter 3: Reunions**

Jaune had lost track of how far they had gone. They had left the boundaries of Forever Fall, but they were still in the middle of a dense woodland and the sun was beginning to set. He looked back over his shoulder and saw Poppy walking unsteadily.

He was getting worried. The wound on his back was still bleeding, but his Aura had slowed it down to the point where it was not their biggest concern. Unfortunately, he was using most of his Aura to keep himself standing, which was increasingly hard to do with no food or water except for berries and tree bark. However, that wasn't the main cause of his worry.

He looked over his shoulder to look at Poppy and winced when he assessed her condition. Her upper right arm was swollen badly and was a distressing shade of red. Her face was pale and covered in sweat. Her rabbit ears were drooping and her face was blank, but anyone could clearly see that she was in pain. She was exhausted, and he didn't know how much further she could go.

 _She's not gonna last much longer._ Jaune looked ahead, and saw no end to the wilderness. _To be honest, neither of us will._ He glanced back at her and grimaced. _If only if she had something to keep her going..._ He had a flash of insight.

He searched their immediate surroundings and found a small cove within a large tree. "Poppy," he pointed out the spot to her. "let's take a break over there." She looked at him blankly for a few seconds before agreeing wordlessly.

Poppy plopped down to the ground, her back against the tree trunk, with obvious relief. Jaune stood there, his mind whirling. _Could I do it?_ He remembered his sister, Sable, and the feeling of her Aura touching his. _I'll lose some Aura, but it'll help her shoulder, and we can use a break for recovery._

"Poppy..." he knelt down in front of her and put his hand on her left shoulder. "Listen, I'm going to try something, and it'll feel weird, but I know it can help you."

"What are you going to do?" Her voice was wheezy, and weak, her eyes barely open.

"Please, just trust me." Not waiting for her response, he closed his eyes and focused inwards, towards his Aura. It was there, a fraction of what it normally is, but hopefully, it would be enough. He imagined bringing his Aura out, just like as if he was using it as a shield, but instead directed it to Poppy.

He remembered the feeling of Sable's Aura, reaching out to him and his Aura was coaxed out. Soon, he felt a small well of energy. He directed his Aura at it and he tried to imitate the action as well as he could and he felt the energy respond.

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality," his voice became ragged, but he pressed on, "through this we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."

He felt his Aura drain rapidly, but it stopped soon, leaving him enough to get by. He opened his eyes and looked at Poppy as a bright red glow around her faded. Already he could see some color return in her cheeks.

"You're... a Huntsman?" Her voice was filled with surprise, but he was relieved to hear an evenness return to it.

"More like a complete novice." he dropped down on a branch next to her, before jumping up again. Poppy looked at him with bemusement. "What's wrong?"

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out something familiar to Poppy. It was small, silver hip flask. It was pretty plain, but Poppy recognized it instantly. "How..."

"Davy gave it to me last night, said it would calm me down." Pausing for a moment, he flicked it open and took a swig of the vile-tasting liquid. He managed to supress the cough at his throat, and felt the alcohol make him dizzy. He offered the flask to her.

Poppy looked at him in surprise, before shaking her head and chuckling. "Normally, I'd scold you for underage drinking, but I think we both need it right now." She gratefully accepted the flask and took a long drink herself. "Always tried to make him stop. Told him it would kill him one day."

"...I'm sorry." He really didn't know what else to say. Sure, he had lost his family, but he was sure he would meet them again soon enough. That Dust explosion would have incinerated anything in its vicinity, and even if Davy managed to escape it, he was far too gravely injured to have gone far.

"You don't have to be." Her voice betrayed nothing, but her eyes were sticken with grief and sadness. "He was right. We had all prepared for this moment, the possibility that something could go horribly wrong."

"Do you think the others made it out okay?" He didn't see the other members of the caravan after all hell broke loose back there. Davy said that they would be doing the same thing they did but...

"I couldn't say. Everything happened so fast." She snorted and took another sip. "Saying that out loud really is pathetic." she rolled her injured shoulder, wincing as she did so. "Whatever you did to me, worked pretty well. Still hurts, but I think the swelling's gone down a bit."

"It won't last forever, but you really didn't look too good and I couldn't see any other option." He took back the offered flask and gulped down the alcohol, and noted that he was growing accustomed the burning sensation in his throat.

After some hesitation, Jaune decided to just ask the question. "Poppy... who are the White Fang?"

Poppy didn't answer for a while, before taking a deep breath and speaking. "Remember, when I said that the Faunus are discriminated against?" A nod was her response. "Well, you see, the White Fang was a Faunus Rights organization. They held peaceful rallies and protests, boycotts against those who discriminated against the Faunus. They were the voice of the Faunus, and many, Faunus and humans volunteered to aid them. Our caravan always supported them."

"Then, why did they attack you? Surely they would only help you?" he asked unsurely.

"...A few months ago, the leader of the White Fang stepped down, or rather, was forced to step down due to the members feeling that he wasn't doing enough. He was replaced by a younger leader, one with a more radicalized view. Soon, protests turned into organized attacks, boycotts escalated to assassinations, any human supporters were shunned."

She paused to let herself have another drink. "The White Fang used to be a symbol of hope for us, but now they're just terrorists. Terrorists perverting a good cause into an excuse to commit a genocide." she leaned forward to give him back the flask. "They're not looking for unity, but supremacy, indoctrinating Faunus with an 'us-against-them' mentality. At this point, I can't say who the bad guys are anymore."

Jaune took another sip in silence, slowly pondering her words. He had no idea that Human-Faunus relations had become so frayed, to the point that open hostility towards the other has become normal. He knew that Crystalcliff was pretty closed off from the rest of Remnant, but until recently he didn't know that his view of the world was so limited.

Deciding that they best save some in case they need it, he closed the flask and put it back in his pocket. They both sat in silence, with Poppy unwilling to say anymore and Jaune not knowing what to say. "So how close do you think we are to the city?" he asked in an attempt to break the long silence, and to change the subject.

"Hard to tell. We've been heading west for a while now, but considering the pace we've been going, and how deep we went into Forever Fall during the chase, it could be anything from a day to a week."

"In other words, you don't know."

Poppy turned her head away, her face flushing, though not from the whiskey. "All I know is that we need to head west." She gazed upwards, and saw that the sun had disappeared beyond the horizon. "Let's get some rest. I'll take first watch and wake you in a couple of hours."

* * *

A man with white hair wearing glasses and an immaculate black and green suit sat in front of several screens, which all showed sections of a large forest. He spoke without turning around, upon hearing the familiar clicking of heels behind him. "Is everything ready?"

"Yes. The launch pads are calibrated and Peter and Oobleck are standing by in the forest." The blond, stern faced woman hesitated for a moment, then spoke up. "Ozpin, you didn't have to be here, we could have handled the initiation on our own."

Ozpin sighed. "As much as I would like to visit the Arc family, Glynda, this is my responsibility as well. Besides, I doubt that I can say anything to Jacques to aid him in his search." He sighed again, taking a sip out of his coffee mug.

"What do you think happened to the boy?"

"For their sake, I desperately hope that he survived. However, their son fell over a hundred feet into a treacherous river."

"I heard that he had unlocked his Aura. If it's anything like his father's, he should have been able to brave that river and cling to life."

"You forget that he is merely a boy. Suppose that he did survive. He would still be trapped, alone in an unmapped, Grimm-infested area."

"...Has Jacques found anything about... what was taken from Crystalcliff?"

"Jacques has bigger priorities at the moment. I have sent Qrow and Tai to investigate."

"Bigger priorities?" Glynda's voice began to rise. "You do know what is at stake here? This is not as straightforward as a mere Grimm attack. It-"

"What it is, Glynda, is a horrendous event that has resulted in dozens of casualties and has torn a family apart and has left them weak and in mourning. They have the right to grieve without us dropping more burdens on their shoulders."

He swiveled in his chair to face her. His eyes, which were usually filled with mirth and kindness, were narrowed, and darkened in silent fury. His voice level didn't change, but one could not mistake the authority held in it. "Let me remind you that, I know better than anyone possibly could, the severity of this disaster, and you have no right to question my decisions on such matters."

Glynda could say nothing in response to that. They remained in silence for while before she decided to break it. "The students will awaken soon. I shall go on ahead to monitor them."

* * *

Jaune woke Poppy up at dawn. After a breakfast of wild berries, Jaune and Poppy were plodding ahead, though this time Poppy was in the lead. There was a noticeable increase in their speed, with Poppy now able to walk briskly with little strain.

They continued through the forest, climbing over fallen, moss-covered branches and trudging through the damp undergrowth. Poppy suddenly stopped, and Jaune nearly bumped into her. "What's wrong?"

Her ears were twitching furiously. "I hear... people, and Grimm. I think, no they're definitely fighting."

Jaune perked up. "Those must be Huntsmen! They'll know how to get to Vale. They cam protect us! How far are they?"

She pointed to a direction to the north. "Less than a mile that way. But more Grimm are incoming. Maybe we should stay away."

"If there are more Grimm incoming, our best chances are with the Huntsmen. Let's go!" He ran towards the direction Poppy pointed, with her right on his heels. Soon, Poppy shouted over to Jaune.

"Jaune! The Huntsmen are just up ahead! But there are Grimm all around them!"

"We'll stick to the sidelines, and wait for them to take them out."

They burst out of the trees, and came face to face with a steep, imposing cliff, and a set of crumbling, stone ruins and bridges over a mist-covered valley. Just in front of the stone bridges were a pair of Huntresses fending off a group of Ursa.

The first was a brunette, with a light brown complexion. She wore a white blouse with a brown vest, corset, and pants. She had a golden brace on her left arm and on her right shoulder and a strap across her shoulder lined with pouches. She was wielding a staff that had what looked like a Dust crystal on each end, shooting fire and gusts of wind.

The other one wore long hooded black cloak, which concealed much of her features, or at least, he presumed it was a female. He spotted a few strands of black hair peeking out from her hood. Swirling around her were streams of light and tiny Dust crystals flying into the Grimm with a multitude of devastating effects such as lightning and ice.

"Jaune!" He turned to Poppy and she grabbed his arm and led him towards the edge of the valley away from the direction of the bridge. "We'll go around, up the cliff side while they're distracting the-"

"GET DOWN!" They barely had time to heed the warning before the dissolving remains of an Ursa shot over their heads into the forest. Jaune turned to the direction it came from, and spotted the pair of teenage Huntresses running up to them.

"The hell are two civilians doing here?" The brunette asked them, offering a hand to help them up off the ground. Her face shifted to concern upon seeing the state of them. "What in Remnant happened to you two?"

"Amber... I think we should get up onto the cliff face and get them medical attention." The hooded girl spoke up with a concerned voice, and Jaune turned to her to get a better look. Her face was mostly covered leaving only the bottom half of her face. Her mouth was twisted into a frown as she seemed to examine their injuries.

"Right... You two, run along the edge of the cliff until you reach a path across. We'll run behind you in case anymore of those Grimm show up." she started to run forward, before stopping and turning around. "Oh yeah, my name's Amber, and this is my partner Opal. Don't worry, we'll get you out of here safely."

And so they ran, Jaune and Poppy in the lead, huffing in exhaustion, but too eager to reach safety to slow down. Despite their efforts, the two Huntresses following them weren't even breathing differently, but they were constantly alert, understanding that the risks in their mission just got bigger.

Aside from a few encounters with Grimm, this was undeniably the smoothest leg of their long journey. True to their word, the Huntresses zealously defended their newfound charges. The Grimm never managed to get within fifteen meters of them, repelled by the incredible skills of the Huntresses.

Amber was a whirlwind, her staff nothing more than a blur as she ploughed through the Grimm. The gems on her staff glowed with power as they unleashed torrents of fire upon the black creatures.

Opal, the hooded Huntress, was not as mobile, but just as devastating. A storm of light flew around her, and struck down any Grimm that dared get too close. This stunning kaleidoscope brought forth elemental attacks, each one capable of destroying a handful of Grimm.

Eventually, they reached the top of the cliff, and Jaune and Poppy just about collapsed on the ground. Jaune looked up to see a well-dressed gray-haired man and a stern-faced blond woman walking to them quickly. Behind them he could see severl people with what looked like medical equipment.

"Headmaster Ozpin!" Amber nearly shouted in panic. "We found two civilians, and I think they got lost in the forest. They're injured too, badly, and-"

The man held out a hand to stop her. "I'm fully aware of the situation, Ms. Stone. I commend you and you partner's actions." He turned to them. "You two, please allow our medics to take care of you. I assure you, you are safe here."

"Thank you." Relief was evident in his voice, and tears pricked at his eyes. "Please, take care of Poppy. Her arm..." he trailed off as the medics swarmed them both, pushing them gently onto the stretchers. He felt a sharp prick in his arm, and he looked to see tube running out of his wrist. He began to feel even dizzier and sleepy.

"Young man, your friend is in good hands, believe me. As are you. I don't know what you have been through but we shall discuss that later. For now, please tell me your name."

"Name?" His voice was barely a whisper. It was getting so hard to talk, his eyelids felt so heavy, but he wanted to answer. "Jaune... Arc." He was awake long enough to see the man's face of disbelief, before his eyes drifted shut.

* * *

 _beep... beep... beep... beep... beep_

 _What an annoying sound_. Jaune thought. _I need a better alarm._ He tried to lift an arm to cease the noise, but found that it was far too heavy for him to lift. He took a deep breath and smelled the strong chemical scent in the air, and felt a warmth on his face.

He attempted to open his eyes, and spent several minutes getting used to the light. He looked around and saw that he was in a dazzlingly white room. He twisted his stiff neck and spotted the source of the beeping, a strange machine, a digital display showing what he assumed to be his pulse. The sound of a door opening made him turn his head and see Poppy coming in to the room.

"Ah, I had hoped you were awake by now. The doctors were unsure when you'd wake up." Jaune tried to sit up, before Poppy stopped him. "Best to allow yourself some more rest youn man. I'm sure your exhaustion is not just physical." Poppy pressed a button on the side of the bed, making it lean forwards.

"Where... am I?" he asked groggily.

"Beacon Academy Infirmary. You sure gave us quite a scare. The doctors were panicking until they realized your Aura was severely depleted, and the wound on your back was becoming infected." She picked up a chair from the edge of the room and brought it to his bed.

Jaune looked at her and saw that she was in much better shape. She was wearing a hospital gown, and her injured arm was in a sling. In her other hand was a plastic bag that was stained crimson. She seemed to be well-rested and going through little pain right now.

"They took away our clothes while they gave us treatment. Just got them back now. This one's yours." She opened the bag and stuck her hand in before grimacing and pulling it out the next second. "Ahh, it's still wet." She tried again, this time only using two fingers to pull out a pair of grimy, blood-stained jeans. She reached into the back-pocket and pulled out a silver flask.

"Should you really be drinking right now?" he croaked out.

"They won't let me have anymore painkillers." She popped open the flask and took a long swig. "I'd offer you some, but I have to act like a responsible adult now." She gazed at him and saw the shape he was in. "Besides, you seem to be doing better. That Aura of yours is pretty useful." She drained the flask and capped it.

"Hey, Jaune, can I ask you to help me with something?"

Though slightly puzzled as to what she could ask him, Jaune didn't want to refuse her. "Anything, Poppy. What do you need?"

"Later, when I'm released, I'm going to Velvet to tell her what happened. The shelter she lives in is just in the city. I'd like for you to meet her."

To say Jaune was shocked was an understatement."W-Why?"

"I've been thinking about what happened in Forever Fall, more specifically why it happened. The Faunus who attacked us could have been good people once, but anger and hatred have corrupted them. Ruined to the point where they are just as bad, if not worse than those who discriminate against them."

Poppy took a deep breath and leaned forward. When she spoke once more, her woice was soft and trembling. "Every time I flash back to that moment, and believe me it's been a lot of times, I keep thinking, ' _That could have been me, that could be Velvet one day_ '. Velvet has a magnificent future, and I don't want it destroyed by the fear and hatred that's taken so much from us already."

"And... and you think I can help her?"

"Yes!" she replied sincerely. "Already, I can tell she's becoming afraid of humans. But if I can show her that there are those who don't care about our heritage, those who can sympathize with our misery." She reached over and took one of his hands within hers. "You don't have to do anything special. Be kind, friendly, be yourself. It would mean a lot to her."

 _I can't really argue against that, Nor do I really want to._ "... I'd love to meet Velvet. Just tell me when and where." Poppy beamed at him, and Jaune knew then that he would not regret this decision.

* * *

A doctor had come in and taken Poppy away, claiming that she should not be moving so soon, and had called in a swarm of nurses and to check Jaune's vitals. After an annoying round of poking, prodding, and being asked to cough for whatever reason, Jaune was finally left alone. He was currently staring into space, thinking of how to contact his family. He perked up when he heard someone fumbling with the doorknob.

In came the gray-haired man from earlier, holding a mug of coffee in one hand, along with Amber. "Oh, good, you're awake." He adressed Jaune now, "Hello, young man. I am Ozpin, the Headmaster of this academy." he pulled up a chair and sat down beside his bed while Amber chose to stay standing. "Now, Miss Scarlatina told me of what you did to mitigate the pain of her injuries. I must say, I'm very impressed. A boy, an injured boy, managed to muster the Aura to unlock another's while still having enough to keep himself standing? There are few who can claim to be capable of similar feats."

Jaune flushed at the praise. "Thank you, sir." He turned to Amber who was looking shocked after hearing Jaune's actions. "Amber, thank you for protecting us, back in the forest. I don't know what we would've done without you or your partner."

Now it was Amber's turn to blush. "Oh, it was nothing. It's a Huntress' job to protect the people right?" she chuckled sheepishly. "I just came to see if you and Miss Scarlatina were okay. Opal would've come too, but she had a prior engagement."

"That's okay, just thank her for me will you?"

"Will do."

Satisfied with that Jaune then turned to Ozpin. He looked down at his lap for a few moments before lifting his eyes to face Ozpin again. "Sir, can I ask you to do something?"

Ozpin smiled. "I believe I know what you will ask." At the boy's puzzled face he continued. "I have already informed your family of your whereabouts. They are on their way to the Academy, and will arrive any time now."

"Y-you mean, t-they're all..." His voice was filled with hope, the only hope he had left.

"I assure you that as of now, every member of the Arc family is alive and healthy, albeit being worried sick. They have all spent the past week searching the shores of Crystalcliff river for you."

Jaune tried, he really did, but it was no use. He could not hold back the tears of joy and relief from flowing down his cheeks. He choked back a sob and accepted the handkerchief offered to him.

"Now, now. Your sisters will arrive shortly. You wouldn't want them to see their big brother crying, would you?"

"No... of course not." Jaune regained control of himself and wiped away the tears and snot on his face. "Thank you sir."

Ozpin merely smiled once more, before he turned his head to the door. "Well," he said, standing up. "I believe that we will talk again sometime soon, young man. But for now, I know that there are people who you would much rather spend time with." He walked to the door, stepped to the side, and opened it.

The moment the door swung open, two yellow blurs raced past Ozpin and flew onto the bed. They were quickly followed by four young women kneeling at the bed.

"Jaune! We missed you so much!"

"Are you okay?!"

"We were so worried!"

"Oh God, you're hurt!"

Ozpin peeked out the door and saw two more figures walking into the room. "Hello, Isabelle, Jacques." He smiled at the little girl in Isabelle's arms."Little girl, why don't you talk to your brother now. I'm sure you've missed him." The girl could only nod and jump down from her mother's arms. She ran up to the bed and immediately embraced Jaune. Isabelle wordlessly walked to the bed. The children stopped talking as their mother approached, all of them watching her reaction.

She tentatively held her hand out to his face, as if she was afraid that he would vanish from her sight the moment she reached him. Jaune decided to take the initiative and clutch her hand with his.

"I'm back, Mom." Three little words broke the floodgates. Isabelle burst forward and held onto her son, with no intention of letting go. His sisters were quick to join in, and they all sat there, sobbing and celebrating the completion of their family.

Ozpin turned away from the heart-warming scene and turned to Jacques. His face was twisted into a myriad of emotions. "Why don't you join them old friend?"

"I, uh, we have to-" he stumbled over his words, his throat feeling like it was closing up.

"We can discuss the circumstances in which I found him later, Jacques. What's important now, is that your son has returned, and your family is whole again. No matter what you think, they need you too."

"...Thank you, Ozpin," And with that the father went on to be reunited with his one and only son.

"Come, Miss Stone." Amber, who had been staring at the scene quickly perked up and hurried out of the room. Ozpin silently left the room himself and closed the door behind him, not wanting to disrupt their time.

"Now Miss Stone," he turned to Amber, who had gained blank look on her face. "Don't you have someone else you wish to visit?"

Now Amber's face was full of resolve. "Yes, I do. Thank you, Headmaster." With a short bow, she turned and walked away.

He let out a melancholic sigh. "Do not any of you thank me yet. If I'm right, this is just the first of the trials we will be forced to endure."

* * *

Amber navigated through the corridors of the hospital with practiced ease, and her steps eventually took her to a secluded room at the end of a hallway. She stood outside the door for a few seconds, steeling her resolve, before knocking and entering upon hearing the weak reply.

Unlike Jaune's room, this room was well-furnished and decorated. Pictures were on the windowsills and tables. Flower-patterned sheets were on the bed. The room wasn't cold or sterile, but something that reminded one of home.

The room's occupant was a woman. Several machines beeping and whirring were attached to leads on her body. She was sickly pale, and very thin. Her breaths were rough and wheezing and her head was bald. Despite this, though, she seemed to exude power and vitality. Her eyes brightened upon seeing Amber. "Amber! I was beginning to think you were never going to come today. How was the initiation?"

Amber embraced the woman gently, but with much affection. "Sorry, Mom. I've been thinking for a while. I passed the initiation, and my new partner seems pretty cool. She's kinda mysterious though."

Her mother let out a raspy chuckle. "You always did attract interesting people." She continued the embrace, choosing to remain in a comfortable silence. She released her daughter, and looked her straight in the eye. "So, darling, tomorrow's my last day. Have you decided?"

Amber squirmed under that gaze, but her resolve from earlier did not waver. "Yes, I've made my decision, and I know what I want to do."

"I shall be the next Fall Maiden."

* * *

A lone set of footsteps echoed throughout the deep dark cavern. The cavern was damp, and cold, but there was something that set it apart from normal caves.

The floor, walls and even the roof of the cavern were littered with glowing crystals of all colors. They sprouted from the stone like flowers, and energy, potent and wild, could be seen through their translucent surfaces. Despite the cavern's depth, light shone throughout the cave, allowing the owner of the footsteps to navigate the rocky surfaces without much difficulty.

The figure wore a blood-red hooded cloak that concealed all of their features. The hooded figure continued deeper into the cave before reaching her destination. She came upon a large open circular chamber within the cave. Right at the centre of the chamber was a stone dais, and upon it was a huge crystal. Unlike the others which shone a multitude of colors, this one was a pure, blinding white, as if a piece of the sun was trapped within this cavern.

The figure lowered her hood, revealing the face of young woman. Her hair was ashen-black and her eyes were a bright amber. She approached the dais, and knelt in reverence. The crystal seemed to pulse with her presence.

"I have returned." There was no voice which answered, but the woman continued to speak as if conversing with someone.

"Yes, it was a successful operation. Your power truly is great, to be able to break those wards with such ease." her voice held a tone of awe. "I'm sorry that you were forced to exert your strength, but there was no other option."

The stone was clearly surging with energy now, like a heartbeat. "I'm afraid that it will take a long time to discern their identities." The pulse grew stronger, as if in agitation.

"No, please do not trouble yourself. He might suspect, but he can do nothing right now." The pulsations started to die down now, the glow dimming slightly.

"Yes. Yes, I will not fail you... Mother."

 **Not a lot of action in this one, more centred around the characters. Hope the emotions were portrayed well, they were never my forte. I sorta just estimated the geography from what maps I could find, so locations could be a bit inaccurate.**

 **Did you like it? Hate it? Whatever the case, tell me! But have the decency to be civil, eh?**


	4. Chapter 4: Following Footsteps

Lifeblood

 **Many thanks to those who gave such positive responses! I'll try to keep it up. In exchange, keep 'em coming!**

 **Now, on to the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not RWBY. If I did, Pyrrha would have [SPOILERS]**

 **Chapter 4: Following Footsteps**

"Hello, Mr Arc, Miss Scarlatina. Good to see that you are recovering well." Ozpin addressed Jaune as he sat down in front of his desk, his mother and father sitting on either side of him. The cold, blonde woman, (who had been introduced as Deputy Headmistress Glynda Goodwitch) stood behind Ozpin to his right, with her arms crossed while clutching what looked like a riding crop.

"Thank you, sir. The doctors say that I can leave this afternoon after they give me a few more tests." Jaune replied. He had spent only a day in the infirmary before being allowed to stretch his legs. His sisters had vehemently refused to leave his side for an instant, but they had backed down after Ozpin offered them rooms at the Academy for the duration of Jaune's stay.

He was looking around the room and inspecting the shifting gears. Above him, through the walls, and even underneath him, the clockwork mechanisms were constantly in motion, giving an antiquated, yet powerful vibe to the room.

"Can I offer any of you some coffee?" Ozpin gestured to the pot sitting on his desk.

Jacques snorted. "Like I would ever drink that swill. Cut to the chase, Ozpin, why are we here?" Isabelle sent him a glare for his rudeness, but was promptly ignored.

"Very well. I wish to discuss the circumstances in which Mr. Arc and Ms. Scarlatina found themselves in the Emerald Forest." The mood in the room instantly turned somber. Jaune's gaze fell to his lap, upon which his hands were clenched tightly. Next to him, Poppy was not doing much better.

"Why do we have to talk about that?" Poppy gritted out between her teeth.

"Ozpin, haven't these two been through enough?" Isabelle was looking at her son with concern. She reached over and held Jaune's hand, and he gave her a grateful look.

"It's okay Mom. I'll have to talk about it sooner or later. I... I'd really rather get this out now." He raised his head towards Poppy. "But only if Poppy is okay with it too."

He couldn't see Poppy's face right now, her hair falling over her eyes and her ears drooping, her entire frame trembling. "I'll be okay. " she whispered. "B-but, Jaune, can I ask you t-to..."

"...Alright." he said in understanding. And so he told their story. A meeting with a group of smugglers outside of Forever Fall forest. An encounter with the activists-turned-terrorists. A harrowing chase through crimson trees. A smuggler's valiant last stand. A painful, and exhausting journey leading to a pair of Huntresses.

Jaune spent around half an hour to go through everything, but he felt that it should have taken longer. Something like that couldn't really be fully explained in such a short time. During his recount, Poppy had kept her eyes firmly on her lap, and small droplets fell on her clenched fists. No-one said anything about it. Isabelle's grip on Jaune's hand tightened to an almost painful extent, her other hand held to her mouth after hearing what her son had been through.

"I believe we've heard enough." Ozpin said softly. "Thank you, Mr. Arc. I'm sorry that you had to relive such a horrifying experience. Glynda, can you please escort Mr. Arc and Ms. Scarlatina to their rooms. We shall join you shortly."

The woman by Ozpin's side, who he now learned was named Glynda, complied wordlessly, beckoning the two of them into the elevator. Isabelle made to follow them, before Ozpin stopped her. "I'm sorry, Isabelle, but I must talk to you as well."

"It can wait, Ozpin, my son needs me." she snapped at him, without bothering to turn around. Ozpin opened his mouth to protest, but thought better of it after seeing Jacques' glare.

The two men sat in silence, waiting for the elevator doors to close, and Ozpin poured himself another coffee. Jacques spoke up first.

"The White Fang is getting out of control, Ozpin. Attacks on the Schnee Dust Company is one thing, but to attack their own kind? Whoever their new leader is, we can be sure that a peaceful resolution with them will never be possible."

"Unfortunately, the news gets worse." He reached into a drawer under his desk and retrieved a folder and passed it to Jacques.

"What's this?"

"Reports from various Huntsmen stations all over Remnant."

Jacques skimmed the documents in front of him before sucking in a breath. "Damn. Raids, robberies, recruitments? Only one thing comes to mind Ozpin. The White Fang are building an army."

"I concur." Ozpin's voice was grave. "But what worries me more is the timing of all this. Crystalcliff was attacked only half a year after the radicalization of the White Fang."

"You think it's connected." It was not a question.

"I know it is. I can feel it. What I can't understand is _how_. This is much bigger than a few raids on storehouses or merchant caravans." He stood up, his cane in his hand before turning around to look at his school beneath him, his students milling across the grounds, happy and carefree.

"I believe you son has expressed an interest in becoming a Huntsman."

"What are you talking about all of a su... " Jacques face twisted to anger. "Ozpin, no! Hell no! He's only thirteen, I will not subject him to that torture!"

"I am not asking you to. But let's be realistic here. Your son has been at the focus of two calamaties already. And his chosen path will not steer him towards anything safer."

"Then what _are_ you suggesting?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"I want you to simply prepare him. Start by giving the sword."

Jacques was visibly taken aback. "Crocea? I said he's not _ready_!"

"Is he not? He has already proven to be strong-willed, if his survival is anything to go by. Clearly, his Aura is of sufficient potency. And do you not have faith that he would be able to overcome whatever trial presents itself?"

"That is not the point! He is just a child. A child who has already suffered through more trauma than most adults. This is not the right time-"

"Then if not now, when?" Jacques fell silent. "I've known you for years Jacques, and I know if you had you way, none of your children would ever choose this life. But like it or not, your family will be at the centre of this storm." Ozpin turned around and looked Jacques straight in the eyes. "Wouldn't you rather give them a way to fight for themselves?"

Jacques slumped in his seat. "Fine. I'll give him Crocea before he starts Signal. You know Isabelle will be furious when she finds out."

"I'll take my chances." He returned his gaze to the school, his mug forgotten on his desk.

Jacques stood and began to walk to the elevator. Halway there he stopped, "How much more will my family suffer because of your mistakes, Ozpin?"

* * *

It was late in the afternoon now. Jaune had spent the entire day playing with his sisters, older and younger. Poppy had joined in, unable to resist the requests of Jaune's younger (and cuter) sisters, but she had retired to her room for the night. Jaune was glad that they were able to keep her mind off of recent events. Jacques and Isabelle were in the dining room of their rather spacious guest room.

"Kids, come here. We have some news to tell you." Jacques announced.

The Arc children huddled around the dinner table, the younger kids sitting on their older siblings' laps. Jaune held Maggie close to him and waited for his parents' news.

"Alright." Jacques began. "Now, as you are all well aware, Crystalcliff has been destroyed." he stated bluntly. All of them flinched, some of the younger ones even whimpered. Despite this, Jacques continued on.

"It will take years for it and the surrounding areas to be purged of Grimm, and even longer to get approval from the council to commence rebuilding."

Isabelle took over from there. "Obviously, we can't stay at Beacon forever. So we've decided to buy a new house."

"Here in Vale?" Sable inquired.

"No." was Isabelle's quick denial. "I don't think that such a drastic change in scenery is good for us right now. And besides, I've never liked the city life. We'll spend a few more days here while we finalize the details."

"So... where exactly are we going to live?" Jaune asked tentatively.

Isabelle smiled. "We are moving to the island of Patch."

* * *

Jaune stood behind a crowd of people in black clothing, in the middle of a cemetery. But it wasn't an ordinary cemetery. Every headstone was identical, forming rows and rows of black rectangular stones. Through the crowd he could see Poppy and her sister Velvet kneeling in front of one stone crying silently. Looking around, he could see others doing the same.

He was in an uncomfortable position. He didn't know what to do right now. He felt too much like an outsider here, an intruder. He had accompanied Poppy, as promised to the shelter to meet Velvet, and decided to come here as well. To say it was emotional was an understatement...

 _"Are you ready for this?"_

 _"Poppy, you look more nervous than I am."_

 _"Well, I have a lot on my mind."_

 _The two of them were currently standing on the pavement of a derelict, near-abandoned street, in the outer edges of Vale city's residential district. They were staring at an old, crumbling building. The paint was cracked, and the roof had several holes in it._

 _Today was the day that Poppy was released from the infirmary. Her newly unlocked Aura had sped up her recovery considerably. Her arm was no longer in a sling, and she could move freely with little to no difficulty._

 _That also meant that she was free to go home. To see Velvet._

 _"I... You have no idea how scared I've been of this moment."_

 _"How do you mean?"_

 _"Velvet's a smart girl. She's accepted long ago what we do, the risks our job carries. But that doesn't change the fact that I have to tell her our father is dead."_

 _"What did you do when your mom dies?"_

 _"Me?" she snorted. "I did nothing. I cried and wallowed in my own misery. Dad took care of Velvet, told her everything, consoled her, held her while I stood to the side."_

 _"And you're afraid you'll do the same thing here."_

 _"Yes. We're all that the other has left. I can't risk losing her."_

 _"Is that why we've been procrastinating on the sidewalk for the past fifteen minutes?"_

 _"... Damn, has it really been that long?" Poppy took a deep breath and slapped her cheeks lightly. "Screw it, let's do this." before pushing the door wide open. "I'm home!"_

 _CRASH!_

 _"POPPY?!" several voices rang out before a footsteps thundered through the house. A door to their side slammed open revealing a young brunette girl with rabbit ears. She stared at them before tearing up and leaping straight into Poppy's arms._

 _"I-I thought you were d-dead." she sobbed hysterically into her shoulder. "When the others came back without you..." she sniffed._

 _"Don't worry, Velvs. I'm here now." she said softly while stroking her sister's back. The two sisters held each other, quietly crying, not caring about the tears staining their clothes._

 _Jaune stood at the door awkwardly, not knowing what to do. He turned his head to the door Velvet came from and saw many people of assorted ages come through the door. The people were all Faunus, and all of them looked overjoyed to see Poppy. However, some of them were looking at Jaune with suspicion, and some with familiarity._

 _Eventually the two sisters broke apart, their faces wet, but smiles on their faces. Poppy wiped away Velvet's tears before doing the same to herself. "Velvet... I'm sorry but... but Dad is-"_

 _"I know." Velvet cut her off, her voice hoarse and barely audible. "The others told me what happened."_

 _"Others?" At this point, Poppy noticed the small group behind Velvet, and recognized them immediately. "You guys..." she breathed out._

 _"Glad to see you're still in one piece, Pop." an old man greeted her with a small smile on her face._

 _Poppy ran to them hugging them and laughing in delight. While this was happening Jaune finally recognized them, they were members of Davy's caravan._ _ **They must be survivors.**_ _he thought in realization._

 _"You're actually right on time, Poppy. We were just about to leave." It was only now that Jaune and Poppy saw them properly. They were all wearing black clothing._ _ **The kind you wear to a funeral.**_ _He also noticed that some were carrying heavy looking sacks._

 _Poppy sucked in a breath. "You've decided it's time then?"_

 _The old man looked at her sadly. " It's been two weeks, Pop. Everyone else has been confirmed dead, Poppy. Some of us tried to find you three, but we only found the blast site, and we all knew that Dust crystal would have vaporised everything near it. And you know what we have to do after a fortnight of waiting."_

 _"So soon." she said with a resigned sigh. "Very well, I understand." She stood up and turned back to Jaune. "It seems I'll have to ask you to go somewhere else with me Jaune."_

They had all walked to a large empty lot, one that has been abandoned by the Vale council for decades. It was an unofficial no man's land. A place where people from the area can mourn the dead without fear or violence. It was revealed that the contents of the sacks were large black rectangular stones, which they buried in the ground. They held no names, no inscriptions. Blank, square and faceless.

Jaune was staring so intently at the graves that he did not notice the old man from earlier walk up next to him.

"Your're the one we picked up outside Forever Fall, aren't you?"

Thankfully, he was able to refrain from jumping. "W-Wha- I-I mean... yeah." he replied awkwardly.

"Don't have to act so nervous. boy. Some of the younger ones might be a bit wary, but Poppy told everyone that you're the reason she made it out of that forest. We owe you one. We just aren't the type to admit it."

"...Thank you?" he said uncertainly.

"Ah, jeez kid, weren't you listening? Oh forget it." He shook his head before putting cigarette in his mouth and lighting it. "Want to know why they're all blank? The graves, I mean."

He continued speaking without waiting for Jaune's response. "It's sort of our tradition. It means that everyone here is a person that the world doesn't even know existed. Everyone here ended up dead and all of them knew it was coming. Some dies 'cos they were heroes, some 'cos they were downright evil, but to the world as a whole, they might as well be the same once they die, it's sad but there you go. They're blank, and so we're forced to remember them ourselves, because no one else will." he exhaled loudly, breathing out a puff of smoke.

"...Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I need you to understand who we are, boy. Just because Remnant has forgotten us and thrust us in the shadows doesn't mean we haven't. The shadows remember everything, the good and the bad. They might not like it, but that doesn't matter. I meant what I said. We owe you one. Times are getting bad, son, so don't think that's no big deal." With that message he walked away without another word.

Jaune simply stood there, trying to comprehend what he's been told. He didn't know how long he'd been there. Fortunately, he had been allowed to stay with Poppy until sundown. Soon enough, the others left as well, leaving only him, Poppy and Velvet. He came up behind them, but before he could open his mouth, Velvet spoke.

"Do you think he would've liked it?" she asked him.

Realizing that she was addressing him, he answered, "Why wouldn't he? It's simple, yet dignified. I don't really think he was the type to show off."

Velvet smiled and stood up to face him. "I, um, I never really thanked you for..."

"You really don't need to, Velvet. I couldn't have made it here without them either you know."

"All the same..." she hesitated and fidgeted for a few moments before lunging forward, capturing him in a tight hug. "Thank you, for bringing my sister back to me."

Jaune was shocked, before his brotherly instincts kicked in and he wrapped his arms around her. Before long, he felt another set of arms embrace him and Velvet.

"Come on, kids. I think it's time to go home."

Jaune spent the rest of the afternoon at the dilapidated shelter, with Poppy and Velvet. They talked about anything that came to mind, anything to take their mind off of their sadness. Eventually, the topic switched to Velvet and Jaune's Huntsman training.

"So, you'll be starting training next week?"

"Yep! My family's moving to Patch tomorrow evening, and my parents are friends with some professors there." Jaune answered. "What about you? Poppy said that you had already started combat school."

"Yes, it's at the combat school here in Vale. It's a good school, good teachers, even if the students are a bit... difficult." She didn't have to explain what she meant.

Jaune could only look at her sadly, and decided to keep the atmosphere light. "So, do you have any advice for a junior student?"

"Huh? Oh, well, off the top of my head, I'd say, try not to get too reliant on your weapon."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I might be a bit biased since I'm primarily an unarmed fighter, but a lot of my classmates are pretty useless when they drop their weapons, and they're easy pickings. Just for curiosity, have you chosen a weapon yet?"

"I think I'll use a sword, but I don't know for sure."

"A sword, huh? It's simple, but versatile. I think it would suit you. What about a long-range weapon?"

And so the converstions went on, the subjects ranging from fighting styles, to grumpy professors, to Dust usages. Poppy didn't have anything to contribute to the conversation, but she just sat there smiling happily at the two children.

All things must end though, and it was soon time for Jaune to leave. Poppy and Velvet offered to walk him to the Bullhead station which he he readily accepted. They continued their idle chatter until they reached the station.

"Time for me to go, I guess." he said sadly.

"Sure you can't stay the night at the shelter?" asked Velvet, her rabbit ears drooping. "You;re not leaving until tomorrow afternoon, right?"

"Sorry, but if I stay any longer, my siblings will launch another kingdom-wide search." he gave them a sad smile. "You guys have my scroll number, though, so it's not as if we'll never talk again."

He hugged Velvet and Poppy once again, before Poppy pulled him aside. "Hey, Jaune, I heard you talking to the old man at the cemetery."

"Oh... yeah, he was just..."

"He confused the hell out of you, didn't he?" she chuckled at his confusion. "Don't worry, he's always been frustratingly cryptic. But he was right about one thing, we owe you one, and don't even try to argue that." Before he could even get a word in, she quickly shoved a small pouch in his hands. "A little parting gift so you won't forget us." she answered his unasked question. "Now, go, otherwise I'm liable to start crying."

Jaune sat in his seat on the Bullhead waiting for take-off, watching Poppy and Velvet walk away, their figures becoming smaller and smaller. He looked down at the pouch in his lap. He slowly untied the strick around the opening and tipped the contents on his hand before laughing out loud, drawing looks from the other passengers. He held the small, silver flask up to the light of the setting sun, making it glow red and orange.

He popped the cap open and raised it to his lips. "Here's to you, Davy."

* * *

"A little more to the left, left- no, waitwaitwait, back up! There! Perfect!"

Jaune nearly dropped his end of the sofa in exhaustion. On the other end, his father did the same, not as tired, but no less irritated. As the men of the house, Jaune and Jacques had been moving furniture around for hours, and everyone had an input in regards to arrangements, resulting in conflicting demands and countless rearrangements.

The Arcs had landed in Patch two days ago, after a long flight that threatened to turn Jaune's guts inside out. One stomach-turning landing, a half-hour of security checks, and a nauseating car ride later, the Arc family had arrived at their new home. It was a two-storey house, and fairly large, definitely large enough for their family. They made their way inside and was greeted by a daunting sight.

Emptiness. The house was completely bare, the walls white and cold, the wooden floors held no decoration.

Predictably, before they could even set their bags down, the matriarch of the family had demanded they go shopping. Thankfully, Patch was pretty well-equipped for an island, and Bianca was a surprisingly good negotiator, so they got a good deal for a lot of the stuff.

"Well, that's the last one, son. It's just decorating the individual bedrooms." Jacques threw a relieved look at his son. The women had once again set out on another shopping expedition, and so the two were left to their own devices.

"Hey, Dad. Signal starts this Monday, right?"

"You're worried about the entrance exams, right?" he said in understanding.

"Yeah. I know you said the training would take place at the school, I'm still thinking that..."

"That you won't make the cut." Jacques sat down on their new couch with a sigh. "I'm gonna level with you, son. There really is only two requirements to enter Signal; you need to be at least twelve years of age, and you need to have your Aura unlocked."

Jaune was stunned. "That's it? No combat or even a written examination?"

Jacques revealed a wry smile. "Follow me Jaune." he stood from the couch and walked upstairs. Jaune followed him to the master bedroom, which had been yet to be decorated. "I really didn't think that I would be having this talk with you until you had graduated, but there's no sense keeping it from you now. Let me tell you a badly-kept secret Jaune. About half of students at Signal, or any combat school, drop out in the first semester."

"Half...that's," he made some quick calculations. "That's over seventy students! Why so many?"

"I'd think you would understand. You've seen the Grimm. You've seen the destruction they've caused. You understand the losses they can bring, the despair they give to people. Most importantly, you've seen death, all at an age where such things should be the last thing on your mind." He paused for a minute before staring at him straight in his eyes.

"Now, Jaune, what would you do, to prepare a _child_ for those experiences?"

Jaune spent several moments thinking of an answer, before replying. "... I'd want them to train as hard as possible. I'd want them to understand what they're signing up for, what they're actually going to fight for."

"I agree. And so do the professors at these schools. But most children your age do not share that mindset. The training will be difficult, not so much as academies like Beacon, but still far too much for a normal teenager." He knelt down in front a cardboard box on the floor, and took out a large duffel bag.

"Like I said, I didn't want to give it to you until graduation, and your mother would have my hide if she knew, but I can't stop this." He unzipped the bag and pulled out a sheathed sword, one familiar to Jaune.

"That sword...!"

"Crocea Mors." Jacques voice had dropped to a low whisper. "This sword has been wielded by our family for generations. It has been passed from father to son, whenever the father deems his son fit to wield it." he presented the sword to Jaune, blue hilt first.

Jaune immediately understood what his father was asking of him. Self-doubt pricked his mind."Dad... that sword is for warriors, heroes. Thank you, but I'm not-"

"Stop right there, Jaune. Let me make it clear, Crocea Mors is a sword for an Arc, whether or not that Arc is a hero is irrelevant." He drew the sword and held it up to the light, admiring its sharp edge, still razor sharp after many years of combat. "This sword has a rich history, not all of it good. It has been used to perform heroic deeds, as well as terrible atrocities. But in the end, this is just a weapon, what matters is what you with it." He sheathed it once more, thrusting the hilt towards him.

Jaune held his hand over the hilt, before quickly grasping it tightly and pulling it out in one swift motion. He took one moment to see his reflection in the blade, before his mind exploded.

 _HUNTSMEN! TO ME!_

 _All forces advance! Annihilate every single one of them!_

 _Burn those filthy Faunus to ashes!_

 _Defend the fortress with your lives!_

 _Awaken... my champion._

Jaune opened his eyes with a gasp. His father was shaking his shoulders roughly and calling his name. "I'm fine, I'm fine. What was that?"

"I don't know. You drew the sword and then collapsed for a few seconds." Jacques face was clearly worries, his eyebrows scrunched together.

"You could've warned me that that was gonna happen," Jaune looked to his hand an saw that he was still gripping Crocea Mors, so tight that his nails were cutting into his palm.

"Jaune... that has never occurred before. As a matter of fact, you still haven't answered me; What happened?"

"I'm not really sure. I was just... looking at the sword, then my head started feeling really bad. Then, there was like, a hundred voices in my head. They were all fighting, I think, and yelling real loud."

Jacques looked pensive. "Perhaps this was a mistake. Maybe a different swo-"

` "No!" Jaune cut in. "I swear, it's okay now! No effects, see?" he demonstrated, performing a few swings.

"...Alright, Jaune. But be careful. And if you have another episode like that, tell me immediately. Crocea Mors is dangerous, Jaune. But it shouldn't be to you." He held the scabbard out to Jaune, who promptly took it and sheathed the sword.

Unseen to both of them, just before Crocea Mors was sheathed, its blade glowed red.

* * *

Three figures were racing through the Forever Fall forest, their bodies nothing more than blurs, swirling up the falling leaves. The first man had graying, spiky hair, and red wore a red tattered cloak over a gray dress shirt with a long tail, black dress pants, and black dress shoes. Strapped to his back was what looked like half a sword, with a clockwork mechanism above its hilt. His name was Qrow Branwen.

The second man was blond, with blue eyes. He wore brown shorts, black shoes, and a brown vest over a tan shirt. On his left arm was a red bandanna. On his right, was metal spaulder, leather vambrace and a fingerless glove. His name was Taiyang Xiao Long.

The last figure, which was the one leading the two, was a small tricolor corgi. His name was Zwei.

The three of them came to a stop in a largeclearing. Unlike its surroundings, however, it was burnt black, scorched leaves and ashes dancing through the air, the trees burnt and and splintered. In the center was a deep crater, at least ten meters wide

"Ah, hell. This must be the explosion site." Qrow remarked.

Taiyang scoffed in response. "Ya think? Damn, How big was the crystal that caused this?"

"The girl told Oz that her old man carried around a fire crystal the size of a fist. Some sort of contingency."

Taiyang sighed, before turning to the dog. "Pick up anything, boy?" the dog only whimpered as an answer.

"Not surprising, the explosion would have burnt out any scent in the area." Qrow whipped out a flask and took a generous drink.

Another sigh. "So, what now? Without Zwei tracking their scent, we have no way of finding the White Fang base, and no way of knowing where those smugglers came from. And I'll bet you anything that Grimm have scavenged any bodies that were left intact."

Qrow took some time to think of their next move. "Let's scout the surrounding areas, on the off chance Zwei picks something up. Forever Fall's too big for a random search, so we'll scrap the mission once we get a couple of miles out."

"Do you think it's alright to just drop the search like that? Ozpin was pretty adamant that the White Fang is up to no good, well, even more than usual. And I'm inclined to agree. Even James is having trouble with them."

"We can't really doing anything about that. This forest is chock full of Grimm, and the White Fang are more experienced around these parts than we are. Even if we got close, they would detect us and move away quickly."

"Good enough for me. I still have to get home and finalize some paperwork."

"Oh, yeah. Jacques' kid is joining us isn't he?"

"Yep. He seems to be doing pretty well considering what he's been through."

"I doubt he's fully over it. Getting this close to death so far from home would change anyone, especially a child."

Taiyang said nothing for a few moments, and Qrow realized what he said. "Hey, Tai, I didn't mean anything by that. Yang and Ruby-"

"I know, Qrow. But to be honest, what he's been through is worse than what my girls have experienced. You were there to save them, but this kid had to save himself. This is gonna hit him hard, if it hasn't already."

"Well, he's an Arc. They're made of sterner stuff than that." He took another swig before replacing his flask. "Let's get going. Oz and Jacques are probably waiting for our report."

* * *

Jaune was standing in front of a large grey building. From the outside, it really didn't look that special. The paint was cracking, a few windows were busted, and weeds littered the front of the school. But despite appearances, Jaune could tell the significance of this academy through one simple sign.

 **SIGNAL ACADEMY**

Jaune took a few deep breaths, resting his hand at the sheathed sword on his left hip. He had grown accustomed to having Crocea Mors at his side. It was still rather awkward to fight with it, but even he could tell that he was slowly getting used to it.

He returned his gaze at the building in front of him. A few teenagers gave him strange looks as they entered the building, but he paid them no heed. His ever-prominent self-doubt was doing terrible things for his nerves, and he was seriously considering throwing a sickie, but he was cut off from his musings by a light punch in the shoulder.

"Hey, blondie. Are you just gonna stand there all day?" he looked up to a grinning blonde girl who seemed to be of the same age.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, I was just-" but was interrupted once more as the girl grabbed his arm and began to drag him towards the doors.

"Come on, it's only the first day! It's only gonna get worse!"

"That doesn't make me feel better!" Jaune struggled in vain. The girl was _strong._ "Who are you anyway? And where are you taking me?"

"Name's Yang, Yang Xiao Long! And as for your second question, I'm taking you to class! Can't have you playing truant on the first day, at least not without me!"

"Are you a new student too?" he asked, still trying to extricate himself from her grip.

"Yep. So, where are you from? I know everyone in Patch and I've never seen you before."

"My family just moved here from Vale."

"Vale, huh... Well I can't say I agree with your choice in real estate, but hey, who am I to judge? Ah, we're here!" The two of them burst into what looked like a large lecture hall with an open space at the centre. and an old blackboard at the front. The place was packed, but Yang quickly steered the both of them both to a couple of empty chairs.

"How did you even know where to go?"

"My dad's a teacher here. My uncle too. Actually I think he's the one taking our first class."

As if on cue, the door slammed open, and a man walked in. Well, _walked_ is a bit generous. _Staggered_ is probably a more apt description. He took his time meandering to the centre of the room, seemingly confused, before getting his bearings and facing the class.

"Alright, shut up, pipsqueaks." he slurred. "My name is Qrow Branwen. That's with a 'Q' not a 'C'. For the next four years, I will be your combat instructor. I warn you now that this is gonna be the most difficult class in Signal, and is the main reason for our number of dropouts."

"Always lookin' to scare the new kids," Yang muttered under her breath.

Qrow seemed to hear her, because he threw a glare at her direction, causing Yang to shrink in her seat. "So, I'm gonna warn you now, I'm not gonna put up with any crap from _any_ of you. You put in the work or I personally boot you out so fast you'll leave more skid marks than a getaway car. Any questions?"

Silence. "Well then, since you're all so eager to learn,"

"Welcome to Signal Academy."

 **Wasn't sure how to feel about this chapter. I have more action planned for the next one, but I wanted to show Jaune's meeting with Velvet and Yang, as well giving Jaune Crocea Mors. Big plans for that thing. Got a timeskip next chapter, but I think I'll keep the flashbacks to a minimum.**

 **SPOILERS TO VOLUME 3 FINALE- I really wish I could say I was surprised with what hapened to Pyrrha. Unfortunately, I was sure it was gonna happen since PvP. That and the opening is just one massive spoiler.**

 **Personally, I hope she stays dead. I'm not saying I disliked her, I found her endearing and she was a freakin' badass. But we saw and experienced so much emotion, from her, Jaune, Ruby, even Yang, and undoing that would take away all the meaning of her death. I wouldn't be adverse to seeing her again as something like, an image in Jaune's head though, a kind of driving force for him to continue.**

 **I'm not sure about Penny though. On one hand, it would be interesting to see what's gonna become of her character, since she is a gynoid, but on the other I don't think the Atlas military would care too much about her if they only saw her as a weapon.**

 **ROMAN. IS. DEAD. He was a small-time crook whose only real purpose was to steal Dust and fuck up the Atlesian fleet. I doubt he was intended to have that big of an impact in the grand scheme of thins. Neo, she's** _ **definitely**_ **coming back.**

 **I am looking forward to more development on Ren ad Nora's part though.** **I do hope that they'll include their journey to Haven, bring back Ozpin, and some mention of Jaune's family maybe. I** _ **really**_ **hope that Yang will get a shotgun arm, Blake will stop being a coward, and Weiss will tell her father to fuck off. (Seriously, that guy just** _ **looks**_ **like an ass) And of course, some explanation on the 'silver-eyed warriors' and who the fuck Salem is. Either way, go Team RNJR! (And yes, I am calling them that)**

 **Opinion given and completed.**

 **Like it? Hate it? Either way drop a review for me!**


	5. Chapter 5: The Way of the Sword

Lifeblood

 **Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY. Just a stupid teenager with little else to do.**

 **Chapter 5: The Way of the Sword**

 _ **(Jaune: Age 16)**_

Jaune ducked underneath the Yang's feral left hook. He brought Crocea Mors up for an upward slash, but was blocked by a yellow gauntlet. The blade was knocked to the side, and a low kick made Jaune lose his balance and fall on the ground. He quickly rolled on his back and brought up his shield to block the downward punch. Springing to his feet he swiped up his blade, aiming for Yang's midsection, forcing her to backflip to safety. Jaune took the reprieve as an opportunity to regain his bearings.

Jaune took a deep breath and fell back into his stance. Across the ring Yang was doing the same. With a grin on her face, she charged. A flurry of punches was sent his way, which he was quick to parry with his blade, the clash of sword edge against metal gauntlets ringing through the air. The exchange seemed to be at a stalemate, two combatants too familiar with each other to gain any significant advantage.

But eventually, Jaune faltered.

He swung Crocea too wide, and created an opening for Yang to slip through and give him a ferocious uppercut. While momentarily in the air, Yang grabbed a hold of Crocea and punched Jaune in the chest while simultaneously wrenching his sword away. Jaune was nearly knocked out of bounds. He brought himself up to see Yang send his sword skittering out of the ring.

"Well, Jauney? Ready to throw in the towel?" Yang yelled over to him, a smug expression on her face.

Jaune considered the option for a millisecond before dismissing it. _I'm disarmed, not dead._ He might have been proficient at unarmed combat, but nowhere near Yang's level. And, in truth, he saw the chances of victory to be quite slim right now. _Well, maybe I don't have to win. I just have to not lose._ He looked down at his left arm. _And i_ _t's not as if I'm defenseless._

But the thing was, he really wanted to wipe that stupid grin off of her face. He held out his right hand in a beckoning gesture. "You'll have to try harder than that, Yang." he taunted.

Without warning, Yang charged again, Ember Celica flying towards him, but their explosive force were evaded or stopped by Jaune's formidable speed and defense. A kick flew towards his head but was blocked by a shield once more. Reacting in a split second, Yang lowered her leg and grabbed the top of his shield and pulled him forward while simultaneously punching towards his head. Jaune quickly retracted the shield edges, making Yang lose her hold and mistime her punch allowing Jaune to move his head to evade.

Taking advantage of her momentary imbalance he brought his shield arm towards her head in an uppercut. Yang leaned back and dodged by millimeters, but Jaune anticipated that. Pressing a button, the shield extended to its full form, and the edge slammed into her face. Her head flew back, and she instinctively closed her eyes, creating a blind spot which allowed Jaune to wrap his hand around her throat and slam her to the ground. Yang's eyes flashed red, and she raised her legs to kick him, but was interrupted by a ringing bell.

"Alright, time's up you two." Qrow drawled from the side, clearly drunk again. Jaune withdrew and retrieved and sheathed Crocea Mors and held out a hand towards Yang. She glared at him while clutching her nose for a few seconds, before taking his hand, (with a bit more force than necessary) and hauled herself up.

"That was a cheap trick, blondie." she crossed her arms in annoyance and reverted her shot-gauntlets to their inactive bracelet form.

"Hey, it worked, didn't it?" he defended.

"Yes, it did." Qrow cut in. "There are no 'cheap tricks' in the middle of combat, Yang. Only survival strategies. You nearly lost control there, and you need to think faster on your feet." He turned to Jaune, who quickly wiped the smugness off of his face. "You're gettin' good with that shield, but you're still a bit awkward with it. You shouldn't let your opponent grab a hold of it. Your legwork needs improvement too, too slow for your style. Now get back to your seats." He looked to the rest of the class.

"Okay, there's not enough time for another spar, so I'm gonna talk to you about your assignments next week." Immediately, every student straightened up with interest.

"As you all know, all prospective graduates at Signal Academy are given a week to complete a low-ranked hunting mission. These are all Grimm extermination missions, since we really can't trust any of you to protect civilians." Jaune and Yang smirked at his blunt statement.

"Now, I have been teaching you brats for nearly four years. And it has been hard on all of you. Too hard for some. You need only look around the room to see that."

Jaune did just that. Four years ago this room was packed, bustling with hopeful Huntsmen. But the numbers were whittled down alarmingly quickly, until only the most skilled (or most stubborn) were remaining. A year of a hundred and fifty cut down to thirty.

"These missions might test you, you might find them ridiculously easy. Either way, keep your guard up. There's really no other advice I want to give you that I haven't spent the last four years beating into you. It's up to you whether or not you use my lessons to stay alive. Class dismissed." he stumbled through the silent classroom, pushing past the door, nonchalantly drinking from his flask.

"Well, that was cheerful." Yang muttered. "Come on, let's meet up with Ruby." As usual, she dragged him out of the class.

"So, blondie, you still haven't told me what mission you were assigned."

"Nothing big. I have to clear a small area outside Vale. There have been reports of Beowolves skulking around the place, so I'll probably have to spend the whole week there."

"Lucky." Yang groaned. "I have to 'investigate' some woodlands south of the city. There haven't even been any reports, so odds are I'll end up taking a nature walk for days."

"You know, it's a good thing when Grimm are nowhere near where people live."

"I know, I know. But we've been doing but nothing but training for years! I think I might just kick back in Vale for the rest of the week. Maybe visit Poppy." she mused.

"She'd like that. She's been feeling lonely since Velvet entered Beacon." They had come to the double doors to the cafeteria, which Yang promptly slammed open roughly. A red blur accompanied by a a breeze and rose petals instantly appeared in front of them.

"Yang! Jaune!" the young girl greeted. "You're late! How was Uncle Qrow's class?"

"Oh, you know. Same old stuff. Fought some spars, Qrow was drunk. Nothing new."

"So Jaune beat you, huh?" Ruby instantly deduced.

Yang nearly tripped over her own feet. "He did not beat me! We ran out of time, but I was kicking his ass!"

"Sure, sure, whatever you say." Ruby replied, clearly unconvinced. Jaune tried to keep his snickering quiet.

He failed miserably.

"Oh, shut up, you two." Yang grumbled, stomping off to join the lunch line, Ruby and Jaune in tow. "So, blondie, how are your family members taking the mission?"

"Well, you know what they're like. Mom was pretty against it once she found out it was outside Vale, Dad was worried, but convinced her not to get me reassigned."

Yang snorted. "Yeah, my Dad was pretty much the same. He threatened to ban me from Bumblebee if I came back with so much as a scratch. How'd the Arclings react?" she was referencing Jaune's younger siblings.

"Well, Coral's locked herself in her room, Lavender's not talking to me, and Maggie bursts into tears every time I leave the house." he sighed and hung his head.

Yang and Ruby shared a look. "They _do_ know that it's just for a week, right?" Ruby asked awkwardly.

"Try telling that to them." He sat down at an empty table, with the two sisters sitting in front of him. "I swear, they didn't act like this when my older sisters were leaving."

"I wish I was going on a mission, too." Ruby pouted. "It's not as if I'm not up for it." Jaune knew that was true. Despite being two years younger, Ruby was extremely talented, a veritable prodigy and absolutely deadly with her signature weapon, Crescent Rose. It was only Signal's strict four-year policy that was keeping her from skipping ahead.

"Ah, don't worry, Rubes!" Yang pulled her sister into a one-armed embrace. "You'll be out slicin' up Grimm in no time! I'll bring you back a souvenir from Poppy, if you want. Now, I'm starving! Let's eat fast in case Dad yells at us for being late for class again."

* * *

Jaune slowed his breathing as he sat on a high tree branch., hiding within the leaves. He looked over his targets: a pack of Beowolves numbering around half a dozen, as well as a ten-foot Alpha. _This'll be easy enough._

He had wasted no time in beginning his mission. Upon arriving at the small village three days ago, he had met the village chief, the one who had requested the mission. Despite a few people taking shots at his age, a small 'demonstration' had cut down protesters pretty quickly. After that, the chief had given him a map of the surrounding areas, which included the areas he was to investigate.

He had swept the area, combing through the trees searching for any trace of Grimm. He had struck out on the first day, but had found a few Beowolves on Day 2. Starting from there he had searched the surroundings, pinpointing the areas where the Grimm were concentrated. Judging from the Alpha he had found today, Day 3, this was probably the main pack.

He silently drew Crocea Mors. and readied his shield, the Arc insignia being displayed in full. He took a deep breath before leaping straight at two Beowolves beneath him. A swift spinning slash decapitated them simultaneously. Sprinting forward, he blocked a claw to his stomach and struck down the offending Grimm. He spun on his right foot to evade a feral swipe at his head before stabbing Crocea at another Beowolf's skull.

His widened when he spotted a Grimm charging and could only block with his shield. He was sent skidding back a few feet, and would have been impaled by a claw, if he hadn't back-flipped over it and bifurcated the Beowolf in midair. Upon landing, he charged at another Beowolf and sent a vicious slash that split it and the beast next to it.

Jaune looked around, and saw that only three Grimm, including the Alpha were remaining. Exhaling audibly, he sprinted forwards and sliced another Grimm in half, and kicked its upper half into the rest of them to disorient them. After swiftly killing the final Beowolf, he swung Crocea at the Alpha, but the blade was blocked by the spines on its arm.

 _Tch, I need to find a weak spot._ He leapt back, giving himself some room. He looked over the Alpha's form, for something he could exploit. He wasn't strong enough to simply break through those spines, and it would take far too long anyways. _Bingo,_ he thought, spotting its unshielded neck and knees.

Seeing the monster preparing to charge, he tensed. Once it got close enough, he rammed his shield upward, making the Grimm's head fly back. It blindly swung its arms at him, but Jaune had already rolled between his feet and cleaved through the back of its knees, making it collapse on the forest floor. Now, it was easy pickings, and Jaune promptly slammed his feet onto its back, and brought Crocea Mors down on its bare neck.

Jaune stepped off of the Grimm, retracting his shield and sheathing Crocea. _Not bad for a day's work._ he thought. He walked out of the forest, hands in his pockets, only leaving behind the dissolving black beasts.

* * *

Jaune was getting ready to leave the village. He had spent the whole day yesterday scouting the area for more Grimm, any stragglers he might have missed, but it seemed that that small pack was the last of them. The village chief had thanked him profusely, and had contacted the Huntsmen depot in Vale to confirm mission completion, and payment.

He had just paid the innkeeper for his stay when he caught sight of a familiar face. _Is that...?_ Jaune followed the woman out of the inn towards the stables, and a white horse. "Excuse me, miss?"

The woman turned and Jaune confirmed his deductions. "Amber?"

The woman looked at him quizzically. "I'm sorry, do I know... you...! You!" she exclaimed. "You're that boy from the Emerald Forest! Jaune, right?!"

"Right. I thought I recognized you back at the inn."

"I nearly didn't recognize you. You sure have grown, haven't you Jaune? So what are you doing here?"

"I was just finishing up a small mission in the area."

"A mission, huh? The locals did say there was another Huntsman here, but I didn't think it was a trainee. Oh, I didn't mean that you couldn't handle it!" she added hastily.

"Don't worry about it." Jaune chuckled. "Yout turn, what are you up to?"

"Pretty much the same thing, really. I stopped at this village last night for a rest before I went on to Vale. I just finished a little recon mission in the Grimmlands, so a warm bed was quite a reprieve."

"The Grimmlands?" Jaune had studied those areas extensively. It was the name given to the south and southeastern quadrant of the Vale continent. It was a wasteland, an unexplored territory with nothing but Grimm and no civilization for hundreds, perhaps thousands of miles. As such, any missions sanctioned in the area were heavily regulated. _But if I remember correctly, Amber was only in her first year back then. She should only be finishing up now._ "Does that mean that you're a fully licensed Huntress already?"

"Yeah! There were some... uhh... special circumstances, shall we say, that my team were put under, and as a result, we graduated a bit earlier."

"Ohh...!" Jaune nodded his head in understanding. He really wasn't all that surprised that Amber's team was extra talented, if her and her partner's performance as first-years were anything to go by. "So, where's the rest of your team?"

"Oh, we still do missions together, but this one was a solo assignment." She turned back to her horse, preparing the reins and the saddle. "Say, since we're both heading back to Vale, want to tag along?"

"Really? But you have a horse, surely you can get there in half the time?"

"Oh, don't worry about it. I've already sent back my mission report via Scroll, and my boss gave me permission to take it easy for a while. Besides, Flake here has been running for days, so she could use some R&R. Besides I'd like to catch up." she said, patting the horse on its side.

Jaune mulled it over for a bit. It's not as if he was going to keep her from anything, and he could learn a lot from an experienced Huntress. Not to mention some conversation would be appreciated during the walk home. "Sure, why not?"

* * *

"We have a problem." a brown-skinned, green haired teenage girl announced upon entering the room.

Amber eyes flashed and narrowed dangerously. "Do tell."

"I saw our target, and she has a new companion."

"Didn't the logs say she was gonna be alone?" a silver-haired boy asked from his corner of the room. "That innkeep didn't mention anyone with her either."

"I think he's an old friend she just happened to meet."

"How would you judge his level of strength?" the woman asked after a moment of thought.

"Not that high. I did some digging, and found out he's just a trainee sent to clear out some Grimm around here."

"...We shall proceed with our plan. We won't get another opportunity like this. How long can you maintain your Semblance on two people?"

"Uhhh...I'd say, five minutes, six tops? And it won't be anything fancy."

"That will be enough. Should she manage to see through the facade, Mercury, I want you to handle the boy. Do not allow him to escape, but do not kill him upon incapacitating him. Emerald, you are with me. Should we fail to defeat our target, we can use the boy as a bargaining chip. Now, let's get moving to the ambush point."

* * *

"So you're attending Signal now, huh?" Amber inquired atop her horse.

"Yep. I'm graduating this year. This is actually my mandatory mission." Jaune replied walking alongside her.

"Oh. So how did it go?"

"Pretty good. Only a dozen or so Beowolves altogether. Not a big-" he paused, and stopped walking, and stared at something up the road.

Amber stopped as well. "Hm? What's up?" she looked in the same direction, and she spotted a small girl sitting by a fallen bike, crying. "Oh, dear." she disembarked her horse and began walking up to her.

"Hey, Amber, do you know that girl?"

"Never seen her before. But it looks like she could use some help." she knelt down in front of the girl, reaching into her coat and pulling out an apple and held it out to her. The little girl held her hand out to her when-

"Uhh... Amber? What the hell are you doing?" Jaune's voice held a tone of alarm.

"What do you-" she saw the dust kick up in front of her, and immediately leapt back to Jaune's side and extended her staff. Her vision blurred momentarily before her sight shifted onto mint haired girl wielding two pistols with sickle-like blades. "Jaune, get behind me!"

Amber held out her palm and stopped the bullets in midair. Twirling her staff, she sent a blast of wind to the girl which made her fly back. Jaune heard another person running. He turned around and saw a silver-haired teenager direct a kick towards his face just in time to draw Crocea Mors as a defence. The teenager's boot collided with the blade, but the force sent Jaune skidding back several meters.

Jaune could barely extend his shield on his arm before another assault quickly forced him back, deperately blocking and dodging the steel toed boots furiously kicking at him. He was forced to back away, over the fence and into the field on the side of the path.

"Jaune!" Amber turned to help him, but was forced to retreat as a third attacker came into play. A black-haired woman lunged at her with a pair of scimitars. Swatting away the swords, she launched a blast of wind at the woman's face, who leaned back and continued to engage her. The first attacker advanced on Amber as well swinging her sickles furiously.

Amber was in a tight spot. She had lost track of Jaune, and could only hope that he was holding up well. But if that boy was as strong as these two, he would need help. Her own attackers were pressing her, slowly getting the upper hand. These weren't ordinary robbers, they were clearly trained, and highly skilled. They had already landed a few good blows on her, but she still wasn't fighting at full strength.

 _Enough of this, no more holding back._ She slammed the white end of her staff on the ground, causing a dome of air to explode around her, blowing back the other women. Her eyes became wreathed in flame. Her body rose in the air, the wind speed increased, and the sky began to crackle.

They attempted to shoot her down, arrows and bullets flying towards her, but they were stopped by a fiery barrier. Amber raised her arms, and when she lowered them, lightning repeatedly attempted to strike her attackers. They evaded them, but Amber was given more room for her next attack. She summoned a great wind to run through the treetops sending leaves in the air. With a push of her power, she froze them, nad sent a thousand daggers hurtling at her assailants.

Despite the barrage, they continued to charge at her, and much to her confusion, seemed to phase in and out of vision, reappearing closer every time. The green-haired girl leapt up at her and she was just about to strike her down, but she phased out once more. Before she knew it, two green chains wrapped around her right arm and both legs, yanking her down to the ground.

Amber's back hit the ground hard. Thinking quickly, she conjured lightning to strike her own body, making a large crater and letting the current pass through the chains. She heard a feminine scream from somewhere out of her immediate line of sight, and felt her bindings loosen. Freeing herself, she stood, but was immediately greeted by large, glass-like structures flying at her from all directions. Panicking, she generated another wind storm to knock them away, but one caught her in the shoulder, making her body spin.

Somehow, she stayed standing. She spotted the mint haired girl a few feet away, struggling to stand. _But where's the other one?_ She searched her surroundings, but found no trace. _That could only mean...!_ She gazed upwards, and saw the black-haired woman straight above her, three arrows notched in her bow. _No!_

Too late for her to react, the arrows buried themselves in the ground around her and exploded in an infernal blaze. Her Aura was shattered instantly, the fire searing her unprotected skin. She screamed in pain, falling on her back, the scent of charred flesh filling her nose.

The woman walked up to her, her anklet tinkling with each step. Amber felt her body being lifted to her knees. "No, please..." she begged, fearing for what will happen next.

The woman smirked cruelly, taking out a white glove with strange inscriptions on the back and carefully placing it on her right hand. She held her now covered arm mere inches from Amber's face...

 _ **"RRRRAAAAAAAHHHH!"**_

* * *

 **(Several minutes earlier)**

Jaune was in over his head. His opponent was skilled, and not to mention powerful. Every lightning-fast kick felt like an entire Ursa charging at him. He tried to regroup with Amber, but was brutally cut off. _It's probably for the best. She has enough trouble without worrying about me and a third enemy_

After Jaune was kicked into the field, he had been forced on the defensive, desperately looking for an opening he could exploit to regain the upper hand, but no such luck. The silver haired teen was a blur, and only Jaune's massive Aura have prevented any grievous injuries on his part. But that was rapidly diminishing as well.

Jaune was scared, no, _terrified_. This wasn't like a spar with Yang or Ruby where Qrow would stop them anytime. Here, his foe was looking to kill him. Every attack, every strike contained lethal force, aimed at a vital organ, looking to penetrate his Aura.

And he simply did not have the same resolve. His strikes were weaker. He instinctively aimed at non-lethal areas. In his mind, he knew that this was a dangerous enemy, just as, if not more fearsome than the Grimm he faced mere days ago. Despite this, his heart was not prepared. Not prepared to _kill_.

Hoping to put some distance between them, Jaune charged his shield forward into his opponent's torso, before unleashing a wide slash, which was effortlessly dodged. Unfortunately, once he was in range of Jaune's sword, though, the teen unveiled another weapon. A kick was aimed at his head, so Jaune leaned his head just out of its reach, but a blast of air punched into him, and sent him flying.

Jaune quickly rolled to his feet, feeling his face begin to bruise. _That was like Yang's gauntlets! No penetrating power, but the blowback's intense._ His enemy kicked at him again, firing more of those silvery wisps at him. Jaune rolled away, but the wisps curved in their path to target him. _They're infused with Wind Dust!_

Jaune turned to face the incoming projectiles and blocked them with his shield or deflected them with Crocea Mors. He had just cut down the last one when he sensed danger coming from his right. He turned and saw the enemy sprint at him. He swung wildly at him but his arms were fiercely kicked away, and a vicious upward kick connected with his chin and sent him to the air. His opponent leapt to the air and swung his leg down for a brutal axe kick to his chest, but Jaune managed to move his shield to defend himself.

Despite the defense, Jaune slammed to the ground painfully, and he felt the telltale signs of his Aura being depleted. He saw that his shield had shattered, the pieces cutting painfully into his arm. With a grimace he ripped his shield off, tearing away some of the metal shards. He made to stand, but a steel-toed boot slammed into his broken arm, driving the remaining pieces deeper into his mangled arm, making him yelp in pain.

"Stay down, kid." his opponent's cocky voice rang out. "My boss doesn't want me to kill you... not yet, anyway." His face twisted into a cruel smirk.

A shriek of pain reverberated through the clearing. Jaune turned his head towards the source, and saw Amber on the ground, her two attackers walking up to her. "Amber, no!"

"Heh, looks like we won't be needing your help, after all." he removed his foot from his arm, but Jaune's relief was short, as his heel was driven into his ribs, possibly breaking a few and making Jaune gasp wildly. "Such a shame. If only you had just kept walking."

 _No, no, no, I can't die! Not like this, not by this bastard. Amber... I have to help her... to save her..._ his thoughts were scattered, tainted by the pain and exhaustion.

 _ **You wish to save your comrade... To defeat your foe... You need more power...**_ a quiet, almost seductive voice reached into his mind.

 _Yes... I need more power... I must grow stronger..._

 _ **Then take mine... allow nothing to stop you... show no mercy... now, awaken!**_

* * *

Crocea Mors began to shake in the Jaune's hand, it's blade glowing a crimson red.

"What the hell...?" Mercury muttered, looking at the sword. "What are trying to pull-" he stopped upon seeing Jaune's eyes. Gone were the bright blue eyes, replaced by ominous red eyes and black sclerae, the veins around the eye clearly visible and pulsing.

Deciding to end this now, Mercury kicked at Jaune's head, intent on snapping his neck, but was too late.

 _ **"RRRRAAAAAAAHHHH!"**_

Jaune's bloodied arm exploded, tendrils of crimson liquid bursting out of his wounds and darting out towards Mercury with blinding speed. Mercury jumped far away, just as Jaune had begun to rise up once more, and Mercury took a good look at his opponent.

In his right hand, he held his sword, which was glowing red. His left arm, which was previously broken and twisted, had somehow straightened, but the cuts have not healed. Instead, they produced copious amounts of blood, the streams writhing like snakes around him. Within a second, the streams coalesced into a single-edged sword held in his left hand. His clothes were soaked and spattered with blood.

Those bloody eyes turned to him, and despite himself, Mercury couldn't help but flinch, and he fell into a battle stance, all the while keeping his eye on Jaune. The blonde seemed to be growling softly, his gaze boring into Mercury.

Then Jaune disappeared. _What the-_ He heard a female scream, and he turned his head back to his companions, and saw that Jaune had knocked Emerald away and had begun to engage Cinder in a high-speed sword battle. Free from the hold, Amber collapsed face first into the ground.

Mercury ran over to them just as Cinder had managed to knock him away. "You two, keep that _thing_ occupied." she commanded. "I need only a minute to complete the process."

"Got it." Mercury kicked away Jaune's charge once again, this time Emerald joining him in combat.

 _His moves are so unorthodox._ he thought. _And he's gotten faster._ He backflipped away from a two-handed overhead slash, that made a small crater in the ground upon impact. _Much stronger too. Where the hell is he getting the power for this?_

Emerald managed to wrap her twin chains around Jaune's arms in an attempt to immobilize him. She retracted the chains, yanking his arms to the side. Seeing an opportunity, Mercury began a spinning kick to the side of Jaune's head, but was stopped.

 _The fuck is this?!_ The blood-sword had morphed and shifted to cover Jaune's head. He kicked at him again and again, each time changing targets, to his neck, his torso, his legs, but the blood shifted as he did, blocking the impacts. _An autonomous defense?!_ His eyes widened when the blood surged at him, making him retreat.

 _ **"RRRROOOOOHHHHH!"**_

With another roar, Jaune bounded forward while swinging his arms around, dragging Emerald through the air by the chains, aiming to slam her into Mercury's side, but he quickly jumped over her, and still in midair, he fired an explosive round straight at Jaune.

Jaune didn't bother to dodge, his blood shields taking the blow, but he was knocked back slightly. Mercury took the time to glance back at his boss, and saw that she was straddling the target, who was weakly struggling in her grip. Cinder had a sword to her neck and held up a glove-covered hand attached to her face by black, glowing, viscous strands. _I need to buy more time._

He turned back to his opponent and saw that he was in the process of an impromptu tug-of-war with Emerald, one he seemed to be winning. She was firing her guns at him while maintainng her hold on the restraints, but the rounds couldn't pierce the blood shields. Mercury leapt back in the fray. He swung his left leg to Jaune's hands, intending to make him drop his primary weapon before the blood caught up, but more blood was extruded from his arms to add to the defenses.

He grunted in irritation tugged at his leg, but it stuck fast. Jaune snapped the chains on his wrist and swung straight at Mercury's chest resulting in a long gash stretching from shoulder to shoulder. Mercury fired a round from his boot and managed to rip his leg away, but the blood continued to latch on to his leg. _What the hell?!_ The crimson ooze continued to constrict his leg, from his foot to his knee, and while he couldn't feel any pain because of it, he knew that too much pressure would be dangerous.

His attempts to free himself were stopped when Jaune charged again. Mercury gave out a flurry of kicks with his right leg, but were parried by the sword and shields. While Jaune was preoccupied with him, Emerald kicked Jaune in the back of his head, making him lose his balance and allowing Mercury to kick him viciously to the side. _Looks like it's not automatic then. That makes it somewhat easier._

" _RETREAT!"_ The two of them jerked their heads to their boss, and their eyes widened upon seeing her being pushed back by a silver haired man wielding a large sword. Cinder leapt to their side and conjured pillars of flame to explode around the newcomer and Jaune's fallen form. When the flames died down, they had already vanished.

* * *

Qrow cursed when he opened his eyes. The three attackers were gone, leaving only a few scorched craters as evidence of their presence. He knelt down beside the unconscious Amber and put two fingers to her neck. _Thank god, she's still alive._ He grimaced at the scarring on her face. It seemed that he had interrupted the power transfer, but it's clear that it had taken too heavy of a toll on her.

He gazed on the other figure on the ground. He stared with amazement, as the smoke cleared and revealed a crimson dome. It fell apart to uncover a blonde teenager that was just as badly injured. He walked up to the boy and gasped in shock.

 _Jaune?!_ Blood matted his hair and stained his face, but that sword was unmistakable. Seeing the severe bleeding on his arm, he realized that the crimson liquid was indeed blood and he set Amber down. He tore off a piece of fabric from his shirt to bandage him, but was stopped by shock once again.

Crocea Mors glowed an eerie red, and astonishingly, the spilled blood began to rise, from the grass around him, peeling away from his clothing. It oozed back into his wounds, burrowing into the torn veins and arteries. Within a minute, all of the blood had returned within Jaune, and his wounds closed just as quickly.

 _What the hell was that..._ Qrow could only stare dumbfounded, before remembering the situation a few seconds later. He removed Jaune's armor and checked him for internal injuries before doing the same to Amber. he used the torn fabric to wrap up Crocea and slung it on his back. Taking a deep breath, he picked the two up, slinging them across each shoulder. _Thank god they're not the muscular type._ he thought before setting off as fast as he could.

* * *

"Who the hell was that kid?!" Mercury raged, while fastening a screw in his prosthetic leg. The three of them were currently holed up in one of their safe-houses. They had all ran straight there as soon as Cinder blinded the Huntsman. Fortunately for Mercury, it wasn't that much of a walk.

"Will you shut up?!" Emerald groaned while clutching her head. Her Semblance was formidable, but using it so much in one battle gave her excruciating migraines. She had already popped some painkillers, but they provided little relief, the black spots continuing to dance around her field of vision, and Mercury's voice only grated her nerves further.

"Oh, boo-hoo. You have a head-ache. That bastard fucked up my leg!" That was the main cause of Mercury's wrath. He had gone through operations that went pear-shaped many times before, even with injuries like the one dealt to his chest, and had always taken them in stride, but this was the first time his leg had been damaged to such a degree.

The blood coating his left leg had stopped constricting upon their escape, allowing Mercury to simply wash the blood off. But it had only taken a few steps for him to realize that he had gained more than a few bloodstains. A cursory examination had revealed that the inner circuits and mechanisms were caked with blood. Almost every component needed to be cleansed and reassembled, some even needed to be completely replaced. It would take a week for it to be in perfect working order again.

Cinder, who had been lost in thought since they had arrived, spoke up before Emerald could retort. "Mercury, the boy who went berserk and injured you," Mercury's eye twitched in irritation, but he did not interrupt. "you said he was blond and had blue eyes, correct?"

"That's right. Why, did you recognize him?"

"In a way. You also said he had a shield. Did it bear an insignia?"

"Yeah. Looked like two gold crescents, kinda like a rainbow."

"Interesting..." Cinder mused. "Mercury, how long would it take you to repair your leg enough to allow movement?"

"If it's just for walking or running, I can have it done tonight."

"Good. Tomorrow we shall meet up with the White Fang once more, and... convince them to accept our generous offer. After that I will be leaving for few days or so. The two of you can lay low with Roman and start preparing for our next mission. We will begin upon my return."

"Next mission?" Emerald asked.

Cinder smiled. "Just prepare for cold weather."

 **AN: Well, this was fun to write. I hope you guys like the fight scenes. The trouble I have is translating what I envision to words that can be understood by anyone, but I think I did an okay job. But if anyone has some tips/critiques, feel free to drop a review! It would be much appreciated**

 **Oh, and someone mentioned that Crocea Mors, means** _ **Yellow**_ **Death, but is indeed glowing** _ **red**_ **. That's not a mistake. Trust me, I'll get to that.**

 **Like it? Hate it? Click in the review button down there if you feel so inclined to tell me!**


	6. Chapter 6: White Out

Lifeblood

 **I don't own RWBY, despite my deepest, most fervent dreams.**

 **Chapter 6: White Out**

Cinder walked up the crystalline steps, and saw the long, flowing black cloak with red designs. She followed it to the very top, before kneeling to the woman wearing it.

The woman standing before her could have been very beautiful, but she held several horrifying features. Her skin was pale, deathly pale, the color that one would expect from a corpse. Her pure white hair was tied into a bun, with six protrusions with ornaments dangling from the ends. Black-and-purple veins snaked grotesquely across her face to her eyes, which were orbs of red on black sclerae. Her face was impassive, but if one gazed into her eyes, they could see the cold ruthlessness within them, a deep abyss that sucked in all who saw it.

"I have returned from the mission, Mother." Cinder spoke in hushed tones.

"I can see. Tell me, why is it that the power I sense within you is incomplete?" Her voice held no emotion, free from anger or displeasure.

"There was a... complication." Cinder hesitated for a moment. "Our source proved useful in tracking the Maiden and we had attacked her as planned. But she was with another."

"What difference does one other Huntsman make against you, child?"

"He was no ordinary Huntsman, Mother. He bore the insignia of the Arc family."

"Is that all?" Now she her voice seemed carry a touch of boredom, and Cinder knew she needed to explain carefully. "That family hasn't been a threat for decades."

"There is more. When I fought him, his mind seemed to be corrupted. Forgive me, but when he showed such signs, I sensed your power residing within him."

"My power?"

"To be more accurate, I could feel it in his blade."

The woman said nothing for a few moments before a strange sound bubbled up from her mouth. It took several moments for Cinder to realize that she was chuckling.

"Marvelous. That is fantastic news. I really should not have been so quick to dismiss the disturbance I felt. Simply wonderful."

She turned to the still kneeling Cinder. "I have a secondary task to give you. Find the boy, the one who wields my sword. Do not kill him, not yet. Watch him, and do so carefully. He may very well be another asset for our cause."

"Yes, Mother. Is there anything else you require?"

"No. You may continue your primary mission as you have been." With that, she turned her back on Cinder again, signalling the end of their discussion.

"Very well. I shall take my leave then." Cinder rose, and keeping her head bowed, backed away and stepped down the crystal steps.

Once Cinder was out of sight, the woman laughed once more. "An interesting turn of events. Even I failed to predict this." She gazed across the desolate, crystalline landscape below. "To think that there is still one left."

"I wonder, Ozpin. How long can you keep my knight from me?"

* * *

A well dressed, black and silver haired man, wearing a white overcoat, a gray undercoat and a red tie stood impatiently in an elevator. His arms were crossed, one gloved finger tapping against his arm. His name was James Ironwood, the current headmaster of Atlas Huntsman Academy, as well as the General of the Atlesian military.

The elevator dinged, the doors slid open, and he walked into Ozpin's office. Ozpin, Qrow, Glynda and Jacques were already inside, and he could see that he had walked into a heated debate.

James cut to the chase. "What happened?"

"Autumn was attacked." was Qrow's blunt answer.

"What?! How exactly-"

"We do not know all the details at this time." Glynda spoke up. "What information we know now is only what Qrow was able to discern."

"Which is?"

"Not a lot. From what I saw, Amber was ambushed by three assailants. I don't have a very good description. I was focused on getting them to safety."

"Them?" James questioned. "She was attacked with her team?" That was a ludicrous idea. Amber's team contained some of the finest young Huntsmen in Remnant. The idea that they were defeated by a mere three assailants was laughable.

"No. She was with my son." Jacques voice was subdued, but James could still hear the inflections of anger.

"Your son?" James' confusion only grew. "What reason would your son have to be with Ms. Stone?"

"They knew each other from a previous engagement."

"I checked the Huntsmen depot." Qrow cut in. "Amber had just finished a mission in the Grimmlands and was on her way back to Vale and stopped at a town for the night. It just so happens, that Jaune, Jacques' kid, was assigned a low-level mission near that same town."

"You're thinking that they met up and decided to complete the journey home together." James finished off the deduction. "I believe I understand. So how are their conditions at the moment?"

The mood in the room grew even more serious. Ozpin decided to speak. "The young Mr. Arc is stable. His injuries were quite severe, and he is still unconscious, but thankfully, his prodigious Aura has sped up his recovery. Ms. Stone, however," He let out a sigh. "her case is more complicated."

"Then simplify it."

"... We conducted an analysis, and based on our findings and what Qrow saw," he paused for a second, finding the words difficult. "We believe that a portion Amber's Maiden powers was stolen."

Silence. James merely stood there, blinking his eyes several times and shaking his head, his stoic composure taken away by one sentence. "How... Is that even possible?"

"Yesterday, I would have said no. But after recent events, the lines between what is possible and what isn't are becoming more unclear." Ozpin muttered, his arms on his desk, his fingers interlocked in front of his face.

"I believe that the real question now is, what do we do?" Glynda raised the question. "Amber is currently comatose, with no sign that she will wake up soon. Half of her powers now belong to someone who will undoubtedly try to obtain the rest of them for herself, and should Amber die, the assailant will receive them anyway. So, what now?"

James decided to speak up. "We find the attackers first. Bring the fight to them."

"And how do you propose to locate them?" Ozpin asked.

James turned to Jacques, who had remained silent all this time. "Your son, he engaged them in combat as well. Perhaps he could provide a description. We send the details to Huntsmen stations around Remnant, and then-"

"Then what, Jimmy?" Qrow interjected. "Do that, and our enemies will burrow so far underground they might as well not exist anymore. Anyone that has the skill and resources to attack a Maiden can surely pull off that much."

"I agree." Ozpin said. "It would be counterproductive to display their faces so publicly. But I do think it would be prudent to try and get a description and alert the other Maidens. If they see this attack as a failure, they may try again."

"That brings me to another issue." Glynda spoke once again. "How did they know that Amber was the Fall Maiden, much less that she was the ideal one to attack?"

Seeing a questioning look from them she pressed on. "Amber, despite her considerable talents, is still the youngest Maiden, and by far the least experienced. Compared to the others, she would be relatively easier to defeat. I don't think that it was mere chance that she was targeted.

"As well as that, only a handful of people even know of the existence of the Maidens, much less their identities, and nearly a third of them are in this room. So, I ask once more, where did they get this information?"

"... Are you implying that we have a spy in our midst?" James asked quietly after a moment of silence.

"I am saying it outright. Someone is leaking our secrets to the enemy."

* * *

Jaune was really starting to hate this room. He was starting to notice things about this room that he never considered last time. The blandness of the walls, the grating sound of the machines, the cloying scent of disinfectant, all of it contributed to his newfound dislike for hospital rooms. But not as much as the fact that he had no clue as to why he was still here.

By the time he woke up hours ago, he had no injuries, he felt no pain, and according to his Scroll his Aura had fully replenished, but the staff were adamant in keeping him there. At least they let him have his stuff back, but Scroll games can only amuse you for so long.

Add all that to the fact that he was worried sick about Amber. Every time he asked about her the staff would either feign ignorance and/or change the subject. It was driving him up the wall, and his mind had turned to conjuring various scenarios to explain what happened to her, and he had been sorely tempted to start drinking from his flask to take the edge off.

The doorknob turned, and in came Qrow, looking surprisingly sober. "Well, kid, congratulations. You managed to land yourself in here twice before even enrolling. I'm sure that breaks some kind of record."

Jaune's eye twitched. _Okay maybe not so sober_ "Gee, thanks. Do you have any idea why they're keeping me here? They have a nurse coming in every 10 minutes to make sure I don't walk out on them."

"I'm sure it's nothing." Qrow pulled up a chair next to him.

"Where's Mom and Dad?"

"Isabelle's still on her way. Jackie's still talking to Ozpin." He was silent for a while, before reaching for a fork on Jaune was given for lunch on the bedside table. "Kid, tone down your Aura for a second, and give me your hand."

"Wha? Oh, hell, I'm gonna regret this." Jaune griped but complied, not as if it would do much anyway. As expected, Qrow jammed the fork an inch into Jaune's palm, before yanking it out roughly.

"Agh! Damn it, what was the point of that?" He was just about to heal it but, Qrow stopped him, and squeezed his had to let a pool of blood form in his hand.

"Go ahead," He gestured to his palm. "Try moving it."

Jaune looked at him as if he was insane, but slight understanding came to his face. He held his hand over the blood, and focused his Aura on the red liquid. He reached out with his Aura, and felt a slight resonance. Building on it, he imposed his will on it, and slowly, it rose, and formed a small crimson marble floating over his hand.

"Whoa..." Jaune breathed out in amazement.

"Indeed. Looks like I was right, it is freaky lookin'."

"How did you...?"

"I was the one that found you and Amber. You're welcome, by the way. If I didn't come when I did, then things could've turned out ugly, even if you were still kickin'"

"I see..." Jaune said absent-mindedly, still enamored by the little red ball floating in his hand.

"Jaune." Seeing that he wasn't paying much attention, he repeated himself with more force. "Jaune! Do you remember what happened to you and Amber?"

"Not really. Last thing I remember was fighting someone, and I was in a pretty tight spot, and Amber was in trouble... " Jaune hesitated for only a fraction of a second, but Qrow still caught it. "I guess I must have been knocked out after that." That was another reason he was so agitated, the fact that he could not remember the conclusion of that battle.

"...Looks like there was some memory loss. Do you think you can give a description of the attackers?"

"I only got a good look at two of them. The third, I couldn't tell you. She was the one that Amber was fighting." Jaune said frustratedly. "How is Amber? No-one's telling me anything."

"Well, she's alive, but barely. Whatever the attackers did to her left her in a coma. That's one more thing I wanted to talk to you about." Qrow's gaze turned to Jaune, his eyes deadly serious. "You can't tell anyone about what happened to Amber."

"What? Why? Shouldn't her family or team-mates-"

"Amber has no family left, and her team already knows, and so do your parents, but no-one else can. Not your sisters, not Ruby or Yang, _no-one_. Amber was involved in... something dangerous, and this attack cannot be made public."

"What exactly was she involved in?"

"You don't need to know, kid." Seeing Jaune about to protest, he continued on. "There's no argument about this, Jaune." Jaune flinched upon hearing Qrow call him by name. "This is an _order._ I don't like it but telling you the whole story won't change anything."

"Then what can you tell me?!" Jaune was getting tired of this. "I nearly died, and had watched a friend nearly die as well! And you can't even tell me why because _I don't need to fucking know?!_ "

"Kid, calm down!"

"Don't tell me to calm down! Tell me what the he-"

"Son." The two of them turned to the door, which had opened without their notice. Jacques stood in the doorway with his arms crossed, Crocea Mors strapped to his back in crude wrappings. "Qrow, do you mind?"

"...Sure. See ya later kid." He rose from his chair and began to walk. Just before exiting, he stepped right next to Jacques. He spoke in a low voice. "Tell him now, or I will." before walking out.

Jacques sat in the empty seat. The father and son didn't speak for a while, before Jacques finally broke the silence. "I heard part of your conversation with Qrow. I understand that you're frustrated," Jaune scoffed, "but believe me, you are not ready to know the full situation."

"And why the hell not?"

"Because you are not strong enough!"

Jaune recoiled in shock before it quickly turned to anger. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

"Exactly what you heard. You said it yourself, you nearly died, and let me guess, you didn't even stand a chance against your enemy?" Jaune's silence was answer enough, and so he continued ruthlessly. "There you go. Knowledge is power, Jaune, and this knowledge is something that you are not ready to wield." He hated that he had to speak to his son like this, but it was the truth, plain and simple.

"I guarantee you that the ones you face are merely pawns in this game. The forces responsible for Amber's condition wield powers that even _I_ have trouble understanding. To tell you everything would only endanger you."

"So, what, I'm just supposed to forget that a friend is lying in a coma-"

"I never said that. Never forget what happened during that battle. Use it. Use it like fuel to drive yourself forward. I said that you aren't strong enough, I didn't say you never will be. Train, learn, improve because believe me, this is just the beginning."

Jaune could only clench his fists in his lap. He couldn't say anything to argue, because in the end, his father was right. He was still too weak. This fight had made that brutally clear to him. He remembered that feeling of helplessness, and uselessness, when the silver-haired one had him pinned to the ground, Amber screaming just a few feet away.

Now he had a new nightmare to be afraid of.

"There's something else." His father's voice made him raise his head.

"You have something else to make me feel worse?"

"Jaune, I know you didn't tell Qrow everything about that battle." Jaune looked away, hiding his face. "Son, look at me." He met Jaune's gaze, and at that moment, Jaune felt like a child again, helpless before the power behind that gaze. "What happened in that fight?"

"...I was in bad shape, Dad. My Aura was gone, my shield was broken, I thought I was pretty much done for. One of them had me pinned, the other two were doing... _something_ to Amber. I don't know what, but I knew they were going to hurt her.

"I was desperate, trying to think of some way to help, then I heard it."

"Heard what?"

"A voice, I think it was a woman's voice, but I've heard it before. When you first gave me Crocea Mors... I heard it then, but it wasn't as clear as this."

"What did the voice say to you?"

"It... She asked me if I wanted to save Amber, if I wanted more power."

"And you accepted."

"Of course! I told you, I was desperate, I thought we were going to die. I was willing to do anything at that point."

"I'm not judging your choice, son. You did what you had to do in a hopeless situation." Jacques sighed.

"...Dad, do you know what happened to me out there?"

Jacques fell into silence once more, to the point where Jaune thought he'd never get an answer, but his next words only added to his confusion.

"Jaune, do you know the Tale of the Nameless Knights?"

"Wha- What does that have to do wi-"

"Just answer the question Jaune."

Jaune continued to stare at his father, searching his face for the slightest hint of his intentions, but he gave up pretty quickly.

Sighing, he replied. "Of course I do. They're in every other picture book and ballad made in Remnant:

 _Before the time of Remnant, before the time of the Grimm, humans and Faunus dominated the world. Without the fear of Grimm, they were able to build mighty empires and great castles._

 _But it wasn't all great. The various kingdoms and empires were in a constant state of war, over resources, beliefs, land, anything became a reason to fight. It became so severe that soon every kingdom declared war on everyone else. People were lost, entire cities destroyed._

 _However, just when all hope seemed to be lost, a shining light descended oto the fields of battle. They held no banners, nor did they wear anything of their country, if they even had one. These namelss knights rode fearlessly into battle, each one with a strength of a hundred men. They wielded their shining swords with unparalleled skill and power._

 _Soon, the armies of the world lay defeated, the nameless knights standing victorious. Looking upon the leaders of the world, one of the knights plunged his sword into the earth, making the ground shake, as if the world itself was trembling. The already damaged empires crumbled to ruin, and once the dust had settled, the knights had disappeared._

 _Faced with their ravaged world, the leaders had no excuse for their people. They understood that peace would be the only way to rebuild their world, and protect their people. And so, once again, mankind began to flourish, under a united banner._

"That's pretty much the gist of it. Still, what does all this have to do with-" Jaune stopped himself, and thought about the story he told. He stared at the sword, still wrapped in his father's hands. "You _cannot_ be serious."

"I realize that it sounds-"

"Crazy? Stupid? Delusional? All of the above?"

"I was going to say 'far-fetched' but those work too." Jacques said wryly. "I always said that Crocea had been in our family for generations, but that's quite misleading. In truth, it is so much older."

"You expect me to believe that Crocea is some magical sword of legend?!"

"Just look at the evidence, Jaune." his father countered. "You said that your Aura was depleted. You had already sustained serious injury. And yet somehow you mustered the Aura to activate your Semblance and were able to fend off a superior opponent, one who very well may be on the level of a highly-ranked Huntsman!"

Jaune was once again rendered speechless. His father was right. He didn't realize that Qrow didn't reach then then. How had he survived? He thought that it was just adrenaline, but only Aura could allow use of a Semblance.

"But...but you've used this sword for years. You've never said anything about it having powers!"

"Because I have never fought a war, son." he said quietly. "Think back to that story. The knights appeared in a time of war, and disappeared once it was over. It has been the belief of our family that Crocea's capabilities only manifest in wartime.

Your great-grandfather was an example of this. He was one of the most feared warriors on the battlefield. They said that he was as strong as a mountain, as fast as lightning. Sound familiar?"

Jaune could only make strangled noises in an attempt to form words. "Vale isn't at war with anyone! Nor are any of the kingdoms."

"Just because you can't see something, Jaune, does not mean it isn't there." He said sharply. "I've already told you of the forces at work here. So far, those powers are invisible, but soon their machinations can be seen as well as felt by everyone."

Jacques gave Jaune the sword, resting it on his lap. "Believe what you want. I've told you what I know. But mark my words, son. Crocea Mors has been awakened, and has chosen you. This war will come whether you believe in it or not, so I suggest you take my words to heart."

He was about to exit, but Jaune stopped him. "Dad, just one more thing." His voice was weak, showing no sign of the anger and fervor from before. "The voice... who was it?"

Jacques stood still, not turning around to face him. "I'm sorry, son. I don't know."

* * *

"There's our target."

Five figures sood on top of a snow-capped cliff, overlooking a wide clearing. Their 'target', barely visible through the vicious blizzard winds, was a single-storey, well-constructed steel building. The walls were bare, with very little windows on the outer walls. The roof was flat, with lights stationed at the perimeter, making it clear that it served as a landing pad for Bullheads. A large symbol was painted on the roof, partially covered by the snow, but still unmistakeable. A spear pointing upwards through a circular shield,

The symbol of Atlas, and more importantly, the Atlesian military.

"I trust that everyone is clear on the plan." It wasn't a question.

"Let's make this clear, woman." A hulking man spoke with a gruff voice. "I'm here because Taurus wanted me here. I don't take orders from a _human._ "

"I understand perfectly, Lieutenant." Cinder replied, disregarding the blatant disrespect. "I wouldn't dream of trying to control you like an animal. All I ask for is some trust and co-operation."

"I'll never trust you."

"Then I suppose I'll have to settle for co-operation."

"Do we really have to do this in this get-up? I feel like I'm going to a costume party." Mercury whined.

"Of course. We want to make this a believable performance after all." She whipped out her Scroll and checked the time. "Let's begin. Neo, if you would."

* * *

"Sir, movement spotted near the southern entrance." reported a technician.

"What? Here?" Commander Steel was on alert. This base was literally in the middle of nowhere. Huntsmen rarely came here, and civilians don't even the base exists. The only sign of movement here, was almost always Grimm "Show me the security feeds, and arm the defense systems."

All around the base, the anti-Grimm turrets whirred to life, and searchlights flodded the area with light, seeking the forest for possible threats.

Steel looked at the camera feeds, trained eyes darting between the screens. "There! Zoom in on that." He pointed to a humanoid figure on the grainy screen, which magnification revealed to be a young, dark-haired woman. She was noticeably limping, and despite the bad video quality, it was clear she was exhausted.

"Ah, hell, it's a civilian. Send someone out to assist her, but keep the defenses up on the off chance she's hostile."

"More movement, sir! This time at the northern end of the base!"

"More?!" _Two civilian wanderers is not a coincidence. Are we under attack? No, no-one would be stupid enough to attack a fortified base with so few people, and they're too conspicuous to be spies. i don't like this._ "I want them detained!"

"Sir?"

"You heard. I want to know who they are, why they're here and how they know of this place. Also, contact Officer Watch and tell him to be on alert with that civilian."

* * *

Officer Watch opened the gates, and ran through the four-foot deep snow, catching the young woman just as she stumbled.

"Miss, are you alright?" he heard no response, and he saw that the woman had passed out, and his eyes widened in alarm when he saw a large, red stain on our stomach. "Oh, shit." He picked her up in a princess carry, and made his way into the base as quickly as possible, trying not to jostle her too much.

Once inside, he contacted base control. "This is Officer Watch. I need a medic here ASAP. Civilian severely wounded."

 **"Roger that, sending a medic immediately."**

Watch turned back to the woman with the first aid kit in hope of stopping the bleeding. He pulled back the woman's cloak to start patching up the wound, before pausing to look at his hands, which he noted were completely dry. _What the hell...?_

His thoughts were brutally interrupted when a long, slender blade swiftly pierced his throat, and was just as swiftly yanked out. He fell to his knees, clutching his neck, his throat rapidly filling with warm blood.

Officer Watch died, drowning in his own blood, staring at a pair of pink and chocolate-brown eyes.

* * *

Cinder stood in her White Fang uniform, unfazed by the freezing temperatures. To her left and slightly behind her was the Lieutenant. Both of them stood just outside the range of the cameras.

"You never said _how_ you were getting us inside."

Cinder smirked. "Allow me to demonstrate." At a leisurely pace, she walked towards the large steel doors, seemingly without a care in the world.

As soon as she got within fifty feet of the walls, half a dozen turrets and as many cameras swiveled to face her.

 **"Halt! You are in a restricted area. Identify yourself, or you will be shot."**

Cinder said nothing, merely summoning several Dust crystals with a wave of her hand. With a push of her mind, the crystals flew at the turrets, exploding in a burst of white flame, completely disabling them, but she took care to leave the cameras intact. She wanted them to see this.

She continued walking towards the doors, extending her arm, palm outwards. Her hand began to glow with power, placing it against the steel entrance. Within seconds, the metal began to melt, and soon the great barricade has been reduced to molten slag, leaving a gaping hole well able to allow entry.

Cinder turned to the Lieutenant, who had walked up beside her and was rendered speechless by the display. "Shall we?"

* * *

The Lieutenant wasn't the only one stunned into silence.

 _What the fuck did I just see..._ Commander Steel had seen his fair share of crazy in his long time in the military. Repeated exposure to Huntsmen Semblances would guarantee that, but this was something else. His shock was quickly displaced by pure discipline and he began to bark out orders.

"I want every squad in that block to converge at the entry point with instructions to shoot on sight!" He would be taking no chances with these people.

"Sir! We've lost the camera feeds around the south entrance!"

"What! Contact Watch and find out what the fuck is-"

 **"This is Officer Brass! We have a security breach, I repeat, we have a security breach! Officer Watch is dead, and the doors are wide open. No sign of the civilian."**

"Roger that, Brass. Initiate lockdown procedures and report to your station." Steel ended the transmission and stomped over to the radio system. "This is Base Commander Steel. Base security compromised, number of hostiles unknown."

"I got a visual on the targets! Two in Block C, running towards Block A. Oh, hell."

"What is it?!"

The technician turned the screen displaying two figures clad in black clothing, donning white masks. "It's the White Fang!"

"Damn it all to hell... Personnel in Block C, be on the lookout for two White Fang members! All others, stay alert in the case of additional hostiles!"

Switching off the tannoy, he turned to another tech. "Activate the AK-130s."

* * *

Emerald and Mercury sprinted through the halls, not even bothering to hide from the cameras. A loud klaxon was blaring, spinning red lights illuminating the walls. Their heavy cloaks were abandoned upon entering the building, revealing the standard White Fang uniform.

"How long do you think it'll take for them to find us?" Mercury asked, just as they rounded a corner, and came face-to-face with a squad of Atlesian military, decked out in full combat gear, complete with helmets and body armor, along with several Atlesian drones. Every single one of them was pointing a rifle straight at them.

"You just had to ask didn't you?"

 **"White Fang! You are surrounded! Hands on your heads and drop to your knees!"** A soldier in the front shouted.

"Ah, don't be like that, Em. This is where the fun starts." Mercury's face shifted to an expression of excitement and bloodlust.

 **"I SAID ON YOUR KNEES!"**

Mercury crouched down on one knee, as did Emerald. The soldiers advanced slowly, and warily. Just as they were only five feet away, Mercury made his move. A burst of wind erupted from beneath his feet, and he was launched him straight above the surprised soldiers. He slammed his foot into the face of the soldier who spoke, the impact killing him instantly.

Mercury landed in the middle of the soldiers, a perfect position as now their rifles are useless unless they want to risk friendly fire. He readily took advantage of their disorientation, killing two more, before jumping back to avoid a hastily drawn sword. Ducking down, a sweeping kick send another soldier tumbling before a kick to his chest sent him sprawling into a comrade.

Another soldier started to swing at Mercury's back, but he was pulled back by a green sickle hooked around his neck. Before he could even react, the sickle was pulled , wrenching his head back in a burst of arterial spray. Her newly-repaired kusarigama flashed through the air, slicing through limbs with horrifying ease.

Within seconds, the entire squad was dead.

"Well, that was underwhelming." Mercury remarked.

The two of them resumed their run through the base, soon coming to a junction, two hallways going in opposite directions. "Alright, you know the plan. Keep them off my back so I can do my job."

"Don't worry, Em. I'm not an amateur." But Emerald had already run down the halls. "Now that's just rude."

* * *

"We've lost contact with Squad 7!"

 _Damn it, looks like these terrorists aren't really just dumb grunts. Could they be rogue Huntsmen?._ "Where are those ones headed?"

"They've split up, sir! One of them has continued towards Block A, the other is headed to the server room!"

"The server room?" _They must be planning to disable our comms before we call for reinforcements_. "Send Squad 3 to intercept the attacker going to Block A, and Squad 6 to surround the one in the server room. Alert the techs in there of the situation."

"Contact HQ immediately and report our situation. Request reinforcements now!"

* * *

Emerald crouched underneath the vents on the wall next to the door outside the server room, using a small mirror to see inside. There were three men inside, all armed, their rifles locked, loaded and trained at the entry points.

 _This could get tricky..._ Emerald scanned the room, carefully noting every one of their positions. Focusing on the one furthest from her, she activated her Semblance.

Mind-based Semblances were tricky to work with. Emerald's Semblance in particular required considerable skill and mental fortitude to fully master. It required her to project a scenario of her own design into the target's mind, while at the same time making sure the scenario is from their perspective. As well as that, she must constantly adjust and adapt the illusion to the target's movements and reactions.

And it's not just a visual illusion. Emerald's Semblance allows for her to change and manipulate every possible sense in whatever way she desires. Sight, smell, sound, taste, touch, all of it falls under her control. Her only limitations were her imagination and her own mental strength.

Inside the room, Technician Bell's vision became blurry for a second, but the sensation passed just as quickly and was promptly dismissed.

Without warning, the door to the room burst open, and in a blink of an eye, one of his fellow techs had been shot in the head, the terrorist standing over his body.. Reacting quickly he shot straight in front of him, but he missed the intruder completely. The attacker disappeared from his field of vision and a sharp blade was held to his neck from behind. His remaining comrade swung his pistol towards him.

"No, wait! Don't shoo- AGH!" His stomach exploded in pain, and he the metallic taste of blood flooded his mouth. He crumpled to the floor, just in time to see his the tip of a green blade burst from his comrade's throat.

Emerald removed her blade from the man's neck, and flicked away the blood before holstering her weapons. She made her way to the computer, stepping over the bleeding bodies as she did so. _I was wrong, that was ridiculously easy._

Seating herself in front of the screen, she saw that a message was being sent to Headquartes. _Perfect timing._ She inserted her Scroll into the computer terminal. A few seconds later, a holographic image of a black queen chess piece appeared on the screen, along with a dialogue box on the Scroll.

 **[Device Sychronization Complete]**

 **[Accessing Cross Continental Trasmit System Database]**

 **[Firewall Detected]**

 **[Firewall Disabled]**

 **[Full Access Granted]**

 **[Installing Worm]**

 **[Transferring Files]**

 **[Obscuring Digital Footprint]**

 **[Complete]**

It was all done in under a minute. Emerald smirked. It seems their new friend was a clever one. She removed the Scroll from the terminal, and reached into her bag to retrieve a small rectangular block with a Scroll attached which she placed on top of the computer. She typed out a quick message on her Scroll to before packing up and getting ready to leave.

Emerald made her way to the door, but was stopped by a low, groaning noise behind her. "Ah, hell." She drew her pistol and pressed it to Technician Bell's head. "You know, if you had kept your mouth shut, you could've lived just a bit longer."

 _ **BANG!**_

* * *

Neo walked at a sedate pace through the halls, her disguise abandoned, her ever-present parasol twirling in her hands, and a large burlap sack she had obtained earlier hanging on her shoulders. She was feeling rather lazy today, and had resorted to teleporting away when encountering the soldiers until she got to her destination. _Leave the dirty work to those street rats._

A few more jumps later and she found her target, a heavily locked and bolted door decorated with imposing warning symbols, the most prominent of which was a black lightning bolt on a field of yellow.

With a swing of her parasol, she cut the locks on the door and pushed her way in. _Huh, no guards. Makes this almost too easy._ She perused the whirring machines, cables encased in metal tubes snaking around the room. _Which one I wonder... Ah, when in doubt._ Neo shrugged and rummaged through her bag and removed several blocks, all of which she stuck to the machines with duct tape.

A small vibration alerted her to a new message. She flipped out her scroll, and the smile on her face grew upon reading it. She resumed her work at a faster pace, occasionally stopping to ensure that she was indeed alone, though she doubted anyone knew she was here.

When she had finished, she reviewed her work and, satisfied with its quality, began to exit the room, while fiddling with her Scroll. Just before she vanished from the room, she pressed the 'Send' button.

* * *

An oppressing shockwave could be felt shaking the entire base.

"Status report! Where did that explosion come from?!" Commander Steel bellowed, once had regained his bearings, and the tremors had ceased.

"Sensors indicate the origin was in Block B, sir!"

"How the hell did they get to -" Steel was cut off by another noise, not as loud, but just as alarming. All around them, lights began to flicker and extinguish. The whirring of the computers died down to nothing. Within seconds, the room was enveloped in darkness, only a scant amount of light provided by Scrolls.

"They must have hit the generators, sir."

 _What the hell?! That's on the opposite end of the base!_ "What about our back-up generator?"

"It'll take two minutes to activate, and even then it'll only be for the most basic functions. Right now, all of our weapon systems are down, our cameras, the drones, everything."

"The comms?"

"Currently non-operational."

"When the generators kick in, radio that back-up, I want them here, NOW!"

* * *

The Lieutenant was having a great time. The recent blackout did nothing to hamper his movements. He swung his trusted chainsaw, Shadow Fang, like a man possessed, slashing through the soldiers' body armor and meager Auras with ease. Their bullets were easily blocked and deflected and their sword skills were mediocre at best. He would never admit it, but he was very eager to commence this mission, despite forcing him to be allies with humans.

The Atlesian military was a top target of the White Fang. They had been responsible for the deaths of many of his brethren, either through negligence or direct participation. They were also known to guard many of the Schnee Dust mines, turning a blind eye to the suffering and pain his people were put through for the sake of profit.

He swung Fang, the spinning teeth shredding through a soldier's flesh like paper. He moved his head to the side to avoid an incoming stab, before lunging forward, grasping the soldier's face before slamming him into another, their skulls cracking on collision. He felt a painful impact on his shoulder, but he recovered quickly and swung wildly at the shooter.

His saw clanged against a sword. Growling, he used one hand to push on the blade away and used the other to punch the soldier in the chest, making his chest cave in, causing him to cough up blood. Kicking him to the ground, he searched for another opponent, but failed to find any left.

"Lieutenant."

He forced himself to cease his rampage and turned to Cinder, whose hands were bathed in fire, illuminating the hallway with flickering lights. "What do you want, woman?"

"I merely wished to inform you that the central command station of this base is right down this hall. I assumed that you would want to take care of the commander with your own hands. Was I wrong?"

 _God, I hate this condescending bitch_. "Just show me the way."

They came to another set of steel doors. The Lieutenant looked to Cinder with an expectant look, to which she only smiled, and rest her hand on the door.

Once again the doors began to glow and spark, melting rapidly to form an opening. However , before the hole was even half a foot wide, the door was bombarded from within. Bullets and globs of molten steel flew towards Cinder, and in an instant she was enveloped in smoke.

Soon, the barrage ceased. The Lieutenant blocked the onslaught with his saw and attempted to spot the woman through the smoke, but he was stunned to see her completely unharmed, not one mark on her. On the ground around her were deformed bullets and charred shrapnel.

He could've sworn that one of Cinder's eyes glowed, before an explosion erupted in the room. Taking the opportunity, he jumped headfirst through the newly-enlarged hole, making a wide swing upon landing. He took advantage of the dim lights and smoke filled air to hack at his enemies, their blindness making them easy prey.

He swung his chainsword downwards to finish off a wounded soldier, but was blocked by a large broadsword, a meter-and-a-half long, almost twice as large as standard issue. "I don't think so, you Faunus scum."

Looking through the smoke, he eyed his opponent. A tall man, fairly old, if his grey hair was any indication. Judging by the commendations on his uniform, it was clear that he was the man in charge. He read a name on his lapel : **STEEL**

He pushed on his roaring chainsaw, his strength overpowering the other man, forcing Steel to break the clash and leap away. The Lieutenant briefly turned back to Cinder, who was watching in amusement. "Stay out of my way," he snarled. "This one's mine."

Not waiting for a response, he charged straight through, ignoring the other soldiers, leaving them to Cinder and focusing on the commander. He swung Shadow Fang furiously, but it seemed that age had not dulled the commander's skills. Every feral strike was skilfully parried, a smart move considering the Lieutenant's obvious strength advantage. For every blow he landed, Steel retaliated with three.

He hacked his chainsaw too wide, allowing Steel to lunge inside his defense and thrust towards his neck. He only narrowly avoided the stab, the blade unable to pierce his shoulder thanks to his Aura. He managed to land a punch to Steel's jaw, but the man barely flinched. He swung Fang towards him, but Steel had already moved to his side, causng his blade to embed itself into a computer terminal.

Steel charged at him, resulting in him losing his grip on Shadow Fang. Now weaponless, he was forced to frantically duck and weave the commander's slashes. Taking a chance, he clapped his hands together, just as Steel slashed downwards, catching the long blade mid-swing.

Wrenching the captured blade towards him, he kicked Steel's face with massive force, making him fly into a wall, his body being covered with web-like patterns of light. Gripping his newly-acquired sword, the Lieutenant made to attack him, but Steel quickly unholstered his pistol and opened fire on him. The bullets clanged against the sword, but a few shots breached the defense, exploding on impact.

Despite the volley of gunfire, he pressed on, but not even his enhanced eyes could penetrate the thick smoke and blinding flashes. His temporary blindness allowed Steel to rush at him. Still sightless, the Lieutenant began to swing the sword, but his wrist was firmly grabbed by Steel, which was quickly followed by a hard punch landing squarely on his chest.

He was sent sprawling to the ground, and before he could even think of getting up, a knee planted itself on his sternum, once again knocking the air from his lungs. Another foot jammed into his wrist, forcing him to release the sword. He looked up to see Steel on top of him, brandishing a long tactical knife. He raised it, and plunged it down-

Just as a black arrow pierced clean through his forearm. The shock and the pain stopped Steel in his tracks, an opening that the Lieutenant eagerly took advantage of. He pushed off the commander, and quickly gripped his throat in his right hand, reversing their position. He pressed his knees to Steel's shoulders to prevent him from stabbing him, and added his left hand to the commander's throat. Putting his thumbs together, he pushed.

Commander Steel writhed and thrashed in agony, spitting out silent curses at him, as his face turned red, and his eyes became bloodshot. Steel's legs kicked out in chaos, and his arms wriggled frantically underneath the hold, but it was futile. His struggling slowly ceased, and after the last choked, mangled rasp left his body, he became still.

Breathing hard, the Lieutenant released his hold on the man's throat and stood, before glaring at Cinder. "I told you not to intervene!"

` "It looked to me that you were having some trouble and needed some assistance."

"I had that handled." He could barely restrain himself from shouting. "You had no right to interfere with _my_ battle!"

Cinder's eyes flashed dangerously before she spoke once more, gesturing to their surroundings. "You should be grateful, Lieutenant. After all, if it weren't for me, who knows how many of these soldiers would've got in the way of you fight." She stepped closer to him, her eyes blazing.

"And let me remind you that this was our operation, and it was only through my... generosity that you were allowed to take part."

He snarled, but said nothing more to argue.

Cinder turned away, signalling the end of their discussion. "Let us finish up here. The others should be finished securing our escape route by now.

* * *

Captain Fernico was speaking into a radio in his position as a pilot of the Airship. "Base Command, two Bullheads and one Airship incoming. Requesting permission to land, code Alpha-Mike-Zero-Seven. Over."

 **"..."**

` "...I repeat, two Bullheads and one Airship requesting landing clearance, code Alpha-Mike-Zero-Seven , Base Command, please respond."

` **"..."**

"Tch. Nothing. Alright, everyone proceed with extreme caution. We don't know how much of the facility has been taken by the White Fang." Behind the man, the soldiers were gearing up, double-checking their equipment, and adjusting their armor. "Our objective is the elimination of said terrorists. And if that is not possible, the evacuation of the men inside."

The aircraft landed on the roof, and the soldiers began to file out once the doors of the plane opened. Before even half of them had disembarked, a deafening crash pierced the frigid air, and everyone turned to see the escorting Bullheads with their engines flaming. They flew jaggedly downwards, attempting to land, but they both lost control. One swerved into the surrounding tree-line, while the other slammed into the northern end of the base.

The soldiers stood in stunned silence, before Fernico resumed yelling out orders. "Get inside the facility, now and find whatever, or _whoever_ brought down those ships!" He stuck his head back in the craft and addressed the co-pilot. "Fly away, but maintain radio distance. Keep an eye out for any incoming attacks, got it?"

Once the last soldier had exited, the doors closed behind him, and unexpectedly the ship rose into the air and began to fly off.

"You really should've retreated and waited for more soldiers, old man." Fernico tuned to see a White Fang member spinning on his hands, his legs kicking out to fire silver projectiles. The rounds were orbiting him as he spun, giving the image of a cyclone. With a grunt, the silver wisps were launched towards the soldiers, the concussive force pushing them back with bone breaking force.

A few soldiers who managed to evade the bombardment rushed the terrorist, swords drawn, but were incapacitated almost instantly. Fernico stood and spit out the blood in his mouth. He rallied his men and ordered them to aim their rifles towards the enemy. "FIRE AT WI-"

Military grade Dust-infused bullets tore holes through the soldiers, their armor and their small Auras doing absolutely nothing to defend them.

Mercury crouched down, occasionally jumping to avoid the bullets that came in his direction. Once the ship landed once more, he banged on the doors. The hatch hissed open, and he stormed in. He reached the cockpit to see Neo in the pilot's seat, the co-pilot lying on the floor with his throat slit. "What the fuck, Neo?! A little warning you coulda killed me!"

The mute girl only put her hands to her mouth in a sarcastic show of shock and remorse. Mercury only scoffed and shook his head, having accepted that arguing was useless with this girl.

"Did you place the signal jammer?" Neo nodded in response. Every Atlesian military vehicle was equipped with a device linked directly to the CCTS which allowed for precise navigation. It also meant that the position of every vehicle was traceable through the CCTS.

"Very well done, you two." Cinder said, stepping into the cockpit. "Where's Emerald?"

"I think that's her coming up now."

Sure enough, Emerald stepped through the snow into the cockpit, her uniform spattered with blood. "Sorry, I'm late. There were a few persistent stragglers."

"You are forgiven. I trust that your objective was completed without much hassle?"

"Oh yeah. The toy our new friend gave us worked like a charm. Why is the Lieutenant sulking in the back?"

"I do believe he is dissatisfied with the mission. He'll get over it. Now it's time for us to take our leave. Has everyone left their parting gifts?"

Neo perked up and vanished from her seat, only to reappear seconds later and gave them a thumbs-up.

Cinder narrowed her eyes, but didn't see the need to have Neo elaborate. "Very well, let's be off." she said pressing a key on her Scroll.

The Airship slowly elevated, the landing gear retracting and the wings shifting. They rose higher into the sky. Once they were high enough, their 'parting gifts' were revealed.

All around the facility, numerous bombs packed with concentrated Fire Dust detonated at once. The base was consumed by flame, the roof burst upwards in a pillar of fire. Bodies could be seen flying through the air alongside rubble and shards of metal.

The explosions finally stopped, and the dust settled, revealing a burning base, white snow stained with ash and blood, and slightly far from the site, a white flag depicting a red wolf.

 **OK, my longest chapter yet, but unfortunately I've learned that longer isn't necessarily better. Still, I hope you've all enjoyed it. We've seen a glimpse of the origins of Crocea Mors, but the more astute of you have probably realized that the story was a** _ **highly**_ **abridged version, so safe to say I haven't given you the full picture. (duh!)**

 **I've also introduced Salem into my fic. To be honest, I thought I was going to have to design another OC for her role, but when I first saw her, I knew her character design would be perfect for what I had in mind.**

 **Now, Easter holidays have come, so I shall resolve to write as much as possible (while trying to maintain quality, of course). I shall also use this time to try and draw a profile picture, but I wouldn't hold my breath on that one. Stay tuned!**

 **Love it? Hate it? Click on the button below if you feel like sharing your opinions!**


	7. Chapter 7: Resolutions

Lifeblood

 **I still don't own RWBY. If I did it probably wouldn't be so great.**

 **Chapter 7: Resolutions**

Bianca Arc was hard at work. She sat in front of a computer, inputting commands at a blistering pace. Lines of code flew across the screen, too fast for most people to follow, but Bianca's intellect and experience allowed her to operate at such high speeds.

"Bianca!" A loud call broke her from her trance. She perked up and spotted the caller.

"Winter!" She exclaimed happily. She rushed forward and enveloped the other white-haired girl in a hug before she could protest. "Long time no see!"

"Yes, yes." Winter grunted, slowly prying Bianca off of her. "Clearly, you haven't changed. Still as clingy as ever."

"Oh, don't be like that. It's that kind of attitude that make people call you Ice Queen. How's little Weiss?"

"She is doing well. She doesn't show it, but I can tell that she is nervous for Beacon."

"Jauney's pretty much the same. Oh, wouldn't it be fantastic if they were on the same team! Or better yet, partners!"

"Please be serious, Bianca. I'm here on official business. About that attack on Base 47. I assume you have seen the report."

Bianca's cheerful mood instantly plummeted. "Yes... I read it. Were there really...?"

"Everything in that report was accurate. No survivors." Winter's tone was tight with anger. "The White Fang killed killed every soldier they encountered. And anyone that they didn't was killed in the blast. Including Commander Steel."

Bianca gasped. "Your old commanding officer?"

Winter nodded. "He was like a second father to me. Mentoring me, supporting me when Father cut me off. He was a hero, about to retire. He had a wife, children, and grandchildren! He did not deserve to die by the hands of those... those animals!" She finished with a yell, before taking several deep breaths to calm herself down. Bianca simply waited, knowing her friend enough to know that she needed to regain her composure to operate properly.

"So, what have you found?" She asked.

"Not much. The base sent out a message just minutes before we lost all contact. The message basically reported an incursion and requested reinforcements. The report also said that the lines might have been compromised."

"Compromised in what way?"

"It said that the White Fang were trying to knock out the comms by going after the server room. I thought that maybe they were trying to hack in and steal some classified intel, so I analysed the transmission."

"And?" Winter prompted.

"And I was right." She plopped down into her seat and resumed typing. "You see, the military's network on the CCTS has many firewalls to block any civilian trying to access it. They're very strong, very secure, but it does have flaw in that it doesn't affect transmissions already inside."

"You mean transmissions _within_ the military." Winter understood.

"Correct. Sure there are other, smaller firewalls you need special security clearance for, but by and large the internal security isn't as good as the primary external firewall. I found evidence that they piggybacked the transmission as a way to discreetly access the network."

"What did they steal?" She asked worriedly, leaning over Bianca's shoulder, attempting to make sense of the seemingly random characters blitzing through the screen.

"That's the thing." Bianca unexpectedly threw her hands up in frustration, nearly hitting Winter in the process. " _They didn't take anything!"_

Winter was surprised. "What?!" Winter shouted stunned, her mind whirling. She had no doubt as to Bianca's findings. She was brilliant, a master of the CCTS, after all. But the findings themselves made no sense. Why bother attacking a secure facility and going through the trouble of hacking in if they did nothing? Even terrorists have more sense than that.

Objectively speaking, that base had no other value to the White Fang aside from information. It was used as an info hub and an outpost for the military. The base used the CCTS to command soldiers in real time, ensuring a fast and accurate response in the event of a Grimm attack. It contained locations soldiers stationed all around the kingdom, such info would be invaluable to terrorists.

It was isolated. Not hidden, but civilians don't even care enough to know about it, so it wasn't for the sake of propaganda. It had no connection to a Schnee Dust mine, and as far as she knew, there weren't even any Faunus employees in the base. So what else is there...

Bianca groaned and dropped her head on her desk with a painful-sounding thump. "I told you that I found traces of a foreign signal using the transmission to gain access. So, logically I tried to track said signal, and I got nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Zero. Once the hacker got in, it sorta just... disappears."

"Nothing disappears from the CCTS. Once it's out there, it stays there."

"Exactly what I thought. and we're both right. Nothing disappears, but it can be hidden. So that got me thinking, what if they never wanted to take anything. What if their objective all this time was to leave something behind?"

"Leave what?"

"Malware. I found traces of malware scattered around the system. I've taken care of the fragments I found, but there could be more, and they would be undetectable unless you were performing a comprehensive scan. I don't even know what kind of malware it is, what it does or if it spreads. The most I could tell you is if a device is infected with the malware. Even I can't scan every device and signal in Atlas."

"Why not?"

The question threw Bianca for a loop. "What?"

"Why can't you? Scan everything I mean." Winter clarified. "This is clearly a pressing issue."

Bianca stared at her for a long moment before scoffing. "Well, for one thing, Winter, it would take _forever_. We're talking hundreds of thousands of devices here! I'm brilliant, but I'm not a miracle worker.

"Secondly, thoroughly scanning every device and transmission signal in the kingdom will require authority so far over my head, it would make my ears bleed! The military may value my talents, but they never like it if anyone sticks their nose into official business, much less a foreigner."

Winter reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a several papers.

"What is this?" Bianca took the paper.

"A get-out-of-jail-free card."

Bianca's eyes quickly roved over the paper, before she jerked her head up sharply. "This is a sanction, allowing me full administrative access to any and all Atlesian technology, and the authority to monitor or modify messages, features and programs of the entire Cross Continental Transmit System, foreign _and_ domestic, _indefinitely._ "

"You were due for a promotion, anyway. Be thankful, I was the one who recommended you." Winter smirked.

"You had this before I told you about the virus problem. What's the real reason for this?"

Winter said nothing for a while. "General Ironwood believes that our secrets are somehow being leaked."

"What secrets?"

"He wouldn't say. He wants you to oversee the net, while others oversee the people he works with. He may not say it, but I don't think he wishes to think of anyone as a traitor. He'd rather believe that our network was compromised somehow. So even if you've finished eliminating the virus you're still to continue monitoring the system."

Bianca leafed through the papers. "Judging by the... _extensive_ non-disclosure agreement, that this isn't exactly on the books?"

"Oh, God, no!" Winter rolled her eyes. "No, as of now only you, me and General Ironwood are aware of this."

"You do remember that I'm a citizen of _Vale_ , right?"

"I didn't forget. I also remembered that you are still an active member of the Atlesian military, even if it is in the loosest sense possible. I know that even if you're not loyal to us, you want to bring these terrorists down, just as much as I do.

"Well, you better get to work. I have some leads to follow up on as well." Winter began to make her way out of Bianca's office.

Bianca called out to her before she left. "You know, if I get caught, you, me and the good general will be put in cuffs and brought to a court martial with treason charges over our heads before we can plead innocent."

Winter didn't bother to turn around. "Well, then don't get caught."

* * *

"Jaune... Ruby... Are you guys alright down here?" Yang called out cautiously into the dark hallway.

It had been a week since Jaune's mission. Her uncle Qrow had told her of how Jaune was accidentally assigned to a high-ranked mission. Something about an administration error. Luckily, blondie managed to pull through, albeit with a few more bumps and bruises than expected.

However, the two of them had managed to feel a kind of... depression emanating from Jaune, which Yang thought was absurd. He had just completed a highly-ranked mission, after all! That pretty much made him a shoo-in for graduation, and even Beacon!

But instead, he hardly smiled, he skipped classes, he didn't even laugh at her puns anymore! He just sat around moping and staring at Crocea Mors as if it held the secrets of the universe. He didn't even fight with it, always passing off any spars with her or Ruby. Even his family had no idea what his problem was.

And so his mood continued to spiral downwards, and Ruby, bless her bleeding heart, had decided to intervene.

 _"Alright, Jaune! You're coming with me!" Ruby said excitedly, hooking her arms around Jaune and dragging him away._

 _"Uhh... Ruby, where are you taking me?" Jaune asked, not even bothering to resist being dragged along. Experience has told him that it would be for naught._

 _"The forge, of course!"_

 _"I already have a weapon..." he weakly argued_

 _"But you don't have a sheathe anymore, right? And since you're useless at forging, I have decided to help you out!" Ruby declared imperiously. "Graduation's next month after all, so you need the right equipment! Not just that silly wooden sheathe you got at the discount store!_

 _"But don't think I'll let you slack off, now! You'll have to chip in with the designs. It is your sheathe. So I was thinking, we could make it double as a shield like your last one, but we could incorporate something to take advantage of your new Semblance..."_

 _As Ruby continued to blabber about Jaune's potential new armament, Jaune turned to Yang, who was looking far too amused for his tastes. "Mind giving me a hand here?"_

 _"Aw, you can take of yourself." she replied smugly. "Just watch her whenever she gets near anything explosive." She figured a week with Ruby and her constant pep would be therapeutic, as well as giving him cooler-looking gear._

That was a week ago, and Jaune and Ruby had been hard at work. Designs were drawn, scrapped and redrawn. Experiments were conducted, and models designed. It took a lot work to forge a weapon capable of withstanding the rough life of a Huntsman. Not to mention quite pricey. And dangerous.

That was the main reason why she was being vigilant. The Signal Academy Forge had a long history of 'accidents' due to weapon mishaps, including but not limited to fire, explosions, and in one particularly embarrassing incident, an island-wide power outage. Add all that to Ruby's penchant for making things go _boom_ and Jaune's seemingly natural klutziness, and you have a reason for everyone in Signal to be nervous.

So, yes. Caution was certainly necessary.

She walked past the various machines and design tables, looking for any sign of Jaune and Ruby. Her eyes widened in alarm upon seeing red drops on several surfaces. Running her fingers through the stains, she confirmed her fears. _Blood._

"Jaune! Ruby! Where are you two!" She screamed.

Loud voices could be heard in the next room, the Testing Area. Yang sprinted inside to see Ruby and Jaune standing in the middle of broken training drones.

Before she could even get to them, Ruby closed the distance between them in an instant, pulling her into an embrace that would have knocked anyone else over.

"Yang!" Ruby shouted. "We were just about to call you because we have something really cool to show you- we finished Jaune's shield and were just testing it-you should really see it cos' it looks amazing but not as much as Crescent Rose since nothing is better..." Yang could only hold on to her sister as she spoke at an unintelligible pace. Well, more so than usual.

"Hey, Yang," Jaune called over to her.

Yang caught a whiff of Ruby's breath as she rambled, and glared at him. "Jaune, did you give my sister coffee?!"

"Hey, don't look at me! She saw me drinking some and she thought it would be a good way to keep herself awake! Just be glad I didn't let her put sugar in it."

Yang shuddered at the thought of a caffeine and sugar-crazed Ruby. Setting her hyperactive sister down, she finally managed to get her to stop talking, but she was still shaking.

"You guys alright? I saw blood in the workshop!"

"Oh, don't worry about that," Jaune reassured her. "That's mine, we were experimenting with my Semblance and it got... messy."

"I'll say. Anyways, what have you guys been up to? We're getting kinda worried topside."

"We were just doing some testing for Jaune's new shield!"

"Shield?" Yang inquired. She looked at Jaune's left hip. "Is that...?"

Jaune's grinned, and Ruby joined him. "This, Miss Xiao Long is my new sheathe for Crocea Mors." He held up the sheathe and sword for Yang to examine. It seemed simple in design, red with black lines running around it. A crimson hemisphere adorned with the Arc family insignia was mounted at the middle, which seemed odd. A leather strap was stuck to the back, and one side seemed thicker than the other.

"I thought it was a shield?"

Jaune smirked in response, and drew Crocea Mors. He strapped on the sheathe so it ran parallel to his arm, and clenched his fist. The sides of the sheathe spiraled around the hemisphere, forming a flat, circular shield.

It was large, obviously the same diameter as the sheathe's length. It was mainly dark red with black designs snaking towards the center, and the hemisphere was prominent at its center. It was thick and bulky, which made sense, Yang supposed, since it was for defense. Yang looked closer and saw something peculiar at the end of the black lines. "Are those holes?" Several of them in a circle formation dotted on the face of the shield.

"Yep!" Ruby chirped. "But we'll get to that later. Come on, Jaune, show her!" Ruby was visibly shaking in anticipation. Yang involuntarily stepped back. For all she knew, they really _did_ put an explosive in it.

Jaune closed his eyes to concentrate. His shield clicked once more, before a red liquid oozed out of the holes in the shield. Yang watched transfixed as the fresh blood flowed into Jaune's hand and created a longsword, slightly skinnier and longer than Crocea Mors. Jaune opened his eyes, and exhaled loudly in slight tiredness.

"I've been practicing all week, too. I finally managed to get it to solidify." He smirked upon seeing Yang's amazement. "Impressed, Yang?"

Yang snapped her eyes at him. She was glad that he had regained his former cheer. "Well, blondie, it's good to see that your emo-ness has worn off. But seriously, though. How did you do that?"

It was Ruby who answered her, her eyes shining with pride. "We built in several small containers of Jaune's blood into the shield segments. They all have little valves so it won't get out unless Jaune wants them to, and there's a different terminal to refill them."

"Doesn't blood dry up pretty quickly?"

"We were worried about that too." Jaune nodded. "But you know those blood stains, out there, looking pretty fresh? They were from nearly a week ago. And they're still wet."

Seeing Yang's incredulous look, he decided to continue his explanation. "I was messing about with my Semblance and spilled some on the tables. I guess we really didn't bother to clean it up, but when we noticed it was still wet the next day, it clicked."

"So even if you get disarmed, you always have a weapon, huh?" Yang mused. "How long can you hold it in that form?"

"Hours. Mainly the Aura I use is used to harden the blood to form swords and stuff, but once I've made them they stay until I let go." With that, the sword collapsed back into a liquid and flowed into the shield.

Yang looked up from the sword to be greeted with the expectant looks from Ruby and Jaune. She sighed. "Okay, fine I'm impressed. Now can we please get out of here? Our parents are worried about you two, and you look like you haven't seen the sun for days!"

Two growls sounded out, and Jaune and Ruby blushed. Jaune rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "I guess we have been down here for a while. We'll get our stuff and get some breakfast."

"It's past noon."

"Then we'll have lunch!"

Ruby and Jaune began to clean up the workshop, with Yang helping out slightly. Thankfully, Jaune's Semblance made cleaning the bloodstains quick and easy, so all they really had to do was put away the equipment and archive the blueprints.

"So, I forgot to ask," Yang said as they walked out of the forge. "but have you named it yet? Better be something awesome."

Jaune smiled and raised his sheathed sword. "Well, Ruby and I were arguing about that for a while, but we managed to come to an agreement.

"It's name is Rosea Custos."

* * *

 **(One month later)**

Jaune was staring into Crocea Mors' half drawn blade. He admired its keen edge, never having lost its sharpness despite its age. The steel gleamed in the light, giving off a slight glow.

He had been, he was ashamed to admit, a little afraid of using Crocea Mors in battle again. Even if it was just for a spar. He didn't know if he would wield that insane power again. Luckily, it seemed that Crocea was inert right now, giving no reaction or additional strength at all. He wasn't sure if that made him relieved or disappointed.

Despite the lack of the light show, he was still slightly leery, but his father's words managed to get him over it.

Crocea Mors was his sword now. He was still very sceptical of the Nameless Knights, but he couldn't deny the power of the sword. Whatever circumstances he was in, he chose to accept that power. It was his responsibility to control it, especially if his father's fears come to pass.

Not to mention, if Yang caught him moping again, she'd kick his ass.

Before he could ride further on this train of thought, Ruby broke him out of his reverie. "Jaune, Jaune, looklooklook! 75% off on these newly-released Dust rounds! I've been meaning to get a set, but I've never been able to afford them!"

"That's fantastic, Ruby." Jaune didn't really share Ruby's enthusiasm for firearms, but her happiness was always infectious. "You've been talking about them for a while now."

"Well..." Ruby started twiddling with her fingers. "You see, I already spent a lot in the maintenance shop earlier, and even with the sale, they're _really_ pricey, so I was wondering-"

"Don't worry, I'll front you the difference."

"Really?" Ruby's eyes seemed to sparkle.

 _I swear she does that on purpose._ he thought. "Yeah, don't worry about it, you can owe me. Just get your purchases ready and let's go. It's getting late." No sooner had he said that had Ruby sped off to collect her cartridges.

Jaune chuckled to himself. It had been a productive day. He had accompanied Ruby to Vale in order to get a maintenance kit for his sword and shield. Beacon was only a few weeks away, and he didn't want to fail anything because of faulty equipment.

The sound of shattering glass drew his attention away from the magazine he had picked up. _Oh, this is not gonna end well._ Jaune walked to the front of the store, to see an orange-haired man wearing a white suit, a bowler hat, and bizarrely, eye-shadow. In his hand was a cane, and he was smoking a cigar.

Outside he could make out Ruby taking down several thuggish men with cheap black suits and red swords. Once she was done with the last one. Bowler Hat stepped up.

"Well, Red, I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening," he said, while stamping out his cigar, before pointing his cane at Ruby. "and as much as I'd love to stick around, I'm afraid this is where we- WHOA!"

Jaune had decided to intervene when it became clear that Bowler Hat was going to fire on Ruby. He ran up behind him, and swung his sword, still sheathed towards the side of his head to knock him out, but was blocked by the slender cane.

Bowler Hat pushed away his sword, before slamming his cane to the ground to trigger an explosion, sending Jaune back into the store. Ruby rushed at him, swinging Crescent Rose at tremendous speeds, but Bowler Hat was able to duck underneath the swing and hit Ruby's jaw with the top of his cane. With Ruby dazed, he struck her on the head and sent her sprawling.

"Well, this is all very exciting, but like I said, time to go!". He made to run, but Jaune clashed with him again, only this time with his sword drawn.

Jaune swung at him, but Bowler Hat handled the cane expertly, deflecting and evading his strikes with ease. He hooked the top of the cane around his blade and pulled him forward, and slammed the bottom into Jaune's shield to knock him back with another explosion.

Bowler Hat used the chance to run away, and before Jaune or Ruby could pursue, he threw a small red crystal into the store, and aimed his cane at them. _Oh crap!_ Jaune knew exactly what would happen if he managed to hit that crystal. And if that happened in a store loaded with Dust...

Jaune panicked and extended his shield and positioned it in the way of the incoming explosive. However, the projectile was stopped in midair by a large purple runic circle, in front of a blond woman, brandishing a riding crop. Jaune recognized her instantly.

"Professor Goodwitch?" he whispered.

"Well, looks like someone else has joined the party!" Despite being outnumbered and probably outmatched, Bowler Hat's voice remained annoyingly cheerful. He started to walk backwards down the street, just as a car screeched to a stop behind him. "But before you ruin my night some more, madam, I suggest you take a closer look at that crystal."

Jaune whipped his head towards the store, and saw the Dust crystal glowing onimously. _Shit, it was already activated!_ Acting on impulse, he raised Rosea Custos and summoned all of the blood it contained to surround the crystal in a dome, using as much Aura to harden it as much as possible.

The crystal detonated and the dome barely held. Jaune could feel the energy and the fire pushing outwards, desperate to escape. "Ruby, get the shopkeep and anyone else in the street out of here!" he yelled.

"Right!" Ruby quickly grabbed the elderly shopkeep and sped away in a burst of rose petals.

"Mr. Arc!" Professor Goodwitch shouted to him. He couldn't afford to look away right now. He could barely spare the concentration to pay attention to her voice.

"Mr. Arc, at my count, you must release that dome, do you understand me?"

"I can't!" he grunted through gritted teeth. "If there's even a crack, the entire block will be taken out!"

"I shall take care of the explosion, , but you must let go!" Seeing Jaune hesitate, she tried again. "Mr. Arc, I am a highly qualified Huntress, I know exactly what to do so please trust me!"

Jaune risked a look in her eyes before nodding once. Goodwitch positioned herself next to him, pointing her riding crop towards the dome. "Alright, on three..."

"One." Several purple circles surrounded the crimson dome.

"Two." Jaune clenched his fists, the dome began to shake, hairline fractures spreading across the sides.

 _ **"THREE!"**_ Jaune released his Aura to drop the blood barrier and raised his arms over his face to protect himself from the blast, but to his confusion nothing came. He opened his eyes to see a spectacular sight.

The spinning circles orbited around the site of the explosion site. Right at the center was a fiery explosion, erupting again and again into itself, crashing like waves against an invisible barrier. A miniature sun floating in mid air.

Impossibly, the tiny sun began to move, slowly at first, before accelerating out of the broken shop window and speeding out towards the sky.

"Brace yourselves." Goodwitch murmured, before the circles vanished, and the explosion was let loose. It was well up high now, higher than any of the nearby buildings, but Jaune could still feel the heat and blast waves incoming. The firework died away and he turned to look back at Professor Goodwitch. Amazingly, after that stunning display, she didn't even look winded.

 _Is this the power of a true Huntress?_ He thought in wonder.

"Whoa..." Jaune nearly jumped in shock upon hearing Ruby right next to him.

"Ruby! When did you get here?"

"Just now. I tried following Bowler Hat but I lost him in traffic. Anyways did you see that?! She must be a Huntress! She was so cool and awesome, do you think I can get an autograph?!"

Professor Goodwitch turned to the pair of them, her eyes containing barely constrained fury. Jaune gulped. "I don't think we'll be getting autographs today, Ruby."

* * *

"I take full responsibility for our actions."

"Bowler Hat started it!"

"Nobody got hurt, no-one innocent at least."

"They were bad guys anyway!"

"We can pay for the damages."

"Are you sure I can't have an autograph?"

 _ **"ENOUGH!"**_ The command immediately silenced the two teens, making Jaune flinch, and Ruby whimper and cower into her cloak.

"I hope you understand the severity of your actions and the consequences of your atrocious judgements. Due to your reckless attack on the criminal, Roman Torchwick-"

"Who?" Ruby interrupted.

Jaune leaned over to her and whispered. "I think she means Bowler Hat."

"Ohhh..." Ruby paused her epiphany when she noticed Goodwitch's borderline murderous glare. "Sorry!" she squeaked meekly.

"Due to you irresponsible actions, you risked the lives of every citizen in that street, including your own. This is not an attitude I expect from those training to be Huntsmen! I should have you two join those men you put in those jail cells."

With every word Ruby and Jaune slumped further and further down into their seats. They couldn't really say anything because every word was unfortunately true. True, Jaune only joined in due to Ruby, but in the end, both of them took part in the near destruction of 'From Dust til' Dawn'.

Professor Goodwitch eyed the dejected teenagers, and sighed. _I'm not being paid enough for this._ "Despite your recklessness, there is someone who wishes to talk to you." She stepped aside to allow another familiar face to enter, holding a coffee mug and a plate of cookies.

"Professor Ozpin?"

"We meet again, Mr. Arc." Jaune could swear he could hear a note of amusement in the headmaster's voice. "And you must be Ruby Rose."

"You..." He leaned in close, "have silver eyes."

Ruby didn't really know how to respond to that. "Thank you...?"

"So, Ms. Rose, care to tell me how you learned to wield such a dangerous weapon with such incredible skill?" He set the plate of cookies in front of Ruby, which pretty much guaranteed Ruby's co-operation.

"Uhhh... I'm a second year at Signal Academy, and a professor kinda, took me under his wing." Ruby managed to answer the question before beginning to scarf down the cookies with astonishing and somewhat sickening speed.

"I know only one man who wields a scythe with such proficiency. A dusty old crow."

"That's Professor Qrow Branwen." Jaune cut in, seeing that Ruby's face was currently stuffed. "He's Ruby's uncle." He added, though he was pretty sure Professor Ozpin was already aware of that.

"So I see." Ozpin took a sip from his coffee mug. Jaune could swear it was the same mug he had from four years ago. "If you don't mind me asking, Ms. Rose, why are you in Signal Academy?"

"I want to be a Huntress." was Ruby's instant response.

"You want to slay Grimm?"

Ruby glanced at Jaune, who shrugged and gestured for her to continue. "No, I... I want to protect people."

"Then why not join the police force? They do excellent work to keep the peace in Vale." Jaune could barely hold back a snort at that comment. _Some police force, relying on two teenagers to stop a robbery._

"I think the Grimm are the bigger threat." Ruby answered honestly, before waving her hands frantically. "Don't get me wrong, I think the police is great, I have friends in Patch hoping to enlist. But, I still want to be a Huntress instead."

"And you, Mr. Arc?" Ozpin asked, startling Jaune.

"Huh?"

"You've applied to enrol in my school, have you not? What are your motivations?"

Jaune stared Ozpin straight in the eye. _What he is he up to?_ "I don't see how my personal motives, or Ruby's for that matter, is relevant to the situation, Professor."

Ozpin chuckled, even as Goodwitch gave him the evil eye. "Perhaps it's not. But you both will be students at my Academy for the next four years. My colleagues wil placing you in dangerous situations on a daily basis. I would prefer to know why my students would willingly apply to such a life."

"...I want to be strong enough to protect those I care about."

"So you are of the same mindset as Ms. Rose."

"No."

"No? You both wish to protect the people."

" _Ruby_ wants to protect the people. I'm sorry to say this," He took Ruby's hand and shot her a remorseful look. "but I don't share her views. I'm just one guy, I know I can't protect everyone, but damned if I'll let anything take away those I care about."

"A noble view, Mr. Arc." Ozpin said quietly after a moment of silence. "I believe you shall make a great addition to our school."

"Waitwaitwait!" Ruby piped up. "You said _both_ of us, I'm only a second year."

"Ah, yes, back to the reason I really wanted to speak to you. Correct me if I'm mistaken, Ms. Rose, but you intend to enrol in Beacon once you've done two more years with Signal, yes?"

"Uh... yeah?"

"How would you like to skip those two years?"

Ruby visibly froze. "Huh?"

"Would you like to join Mr. Arc at Beacon this year?"

"But-but the Signal policy doesn't allow anyone under the age of 16 to graduate!"

Ozpin chuckled. "I think you'll find Ms. Rose, that being the headmaster of one of the Huntsmen Academies has distinct advantages." Jaune noted Goodwitch rolling her eyes, which gave him a pretty good idea of what she thought of Ozpin's proposal.

Ruby was lost for words, or more accurately, she had far too many words and couldn't seem to get them out properly. "I... I can go to Beacon? Right now?"

"If you so choose." Ozpin nodded. "I warn you, you will most likely have some catching up to do. You will have to prove yourself to others two years your senior. It will be difficult. However, you will be a Huntress in training."

Ruby sat there stunned, her mind whirling. She looked to Jaune, who was beaming at her with pride. He gave her a reassuring nod and that gave her the final push she needed.

"I accept."

Ozpin smiled and stood up, prompting Ruby and Jaune to stand as well. "Splendid. Professor Goodwitch here shall finalize the paperwork with your parents, Ms. Rose. Unfortunately, I have another appointment to attend." He extended their hand to both of them.

"I look forward to seeing you both at my academy."

* * *

The eastern beaches of Vytal. A beautiful site, one of the most popular tourist sites in Remnant. Lying in a protected bay, the beaches spanned for miles, with white silky snow. At this late hour, though, it was deserted, but no less captivating.

Ozpin sat on a bench overlooking the ocean, his coffee mug uncharacteristically absent. His cane resting next to him.

"Is this seat taken?" He looked up to see who had spoken. It was a woman, wearing a large cloak with the hood up to hide her features.

"No, not at all." he replied after a small silence.

"Thank you." She sighed as she settled down. She leaned back, seemingly enjoying the ocean breeze. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Ozpin took a moment to look out on the beach before answering. The moon was nearly full tonight, its light making the sand shimmer, and the ocean sparkle like liquid sapphires. "Yes, very much so."

"It's been quite a while since I've found time to appreciate something like this. I've never really been particularly motivated to do so."

"So what changed, if you don't mind me asking?"

Ozpin could make out a smile underneath that hood. "I guess I've learned how quickly such beauty can be ruined." The woman turned to him, and lowered her hood, revealing a deathly pale face and red-and-black eyes.

"It's been far too long, Ozpin."

"Indeed." He replied, meeting her cold gaze. "I see that you have obtained a new form."

Salem chuckled. "Well, after what your people did to my last body, I had a lot of trouble making a new one. Thankfully, I had a lot of raw material to work with. I must admit, they did well encrypting that Map. Four years, and I still cannot crack it. How is Amber, by the way?"

"Why are we here, Salem?" He asked her, ignoring the obvious taunt.

"Is it so wrong to want to see you again, Ozpin? I'm hurt."

"I understand your power, I know what you can do, and what you intend to do. But you must let them live in peace, Salem."

"Peace?" Salem spat out the word like poison. "Is that what you call this? Nations on the very brink of extinction, and yet still looking for ways to one-up each other. Citizens at war with one another, simply because each side believes itself to be superior. Children being taught to wield weapons and abilities capable of large-scale devastation, and many dying in the process. This is not _peace._ "

"You cannot change their nature." He said softly.

"But I can change the world they live in." She countered.

"Why not just kill them? We both know that is what you truly desire. So why bother attempting to subjugate them?"

"Because I need them. Just like how you need them. You have your retainers and I have mine, but we need more. For beings like us, mankind is our lifeblood. As loathe as I am to admit it, we must rely on them to survive. You've known that for far longer than I have. But the difference between us, Ozpin, is that I can give the people something you have neglected to provide."

"Which is?"

"Structure and oversight. You have coddled them for far too long, and as a result they are destroying everything, including themselves. It is time for you to stop playing schoolteacher and for me to give them a _real_ leader."

"A _real_ leader? You would kill thousands, if not _millions_ to achieve your selfish goals. That is not a leader, but a tyrant."

"And how is that different to any of the rulers of this age?"

"You wanted to meet me here. Why?"

"The island of Vytal, known as the site where mankind achieved their so-called peace after a long and bloody war. I thought that it's only right that this should be a site where that illusion is torn down." She stood up, her cloak billowing behind her.

"Our little cold war has gone on long enough, and so I thought to give you the courtesy of seeing you in person. Consider this my declaration." She turned her red eyes to him, fury burning within them. "I shall destroy you. The real question is, how many of your children will you allow to die with you?"

Ozpin stood to meet her gaze. "My children share my beliefs. This world is _theirs_."

Salem sneered. "So be it."

Ozpin's expression grew sad. "What happened to us, Salem? You used to be so kind and merciful." He spoke with nostalgia.

"Perhaps you're right. Maybe I have become nothing more than a monster. Perhaps you have as well. But I will be beautiful again. And you are wrong about one thing,

"This... _will_ be a kindness."

* * *

 **So, up next is initiation!**

 **For those of you who are curious, Rosea Custos, means 'Red Guardian'. I thought I'd stick with the Latin theme. It's a Roman style _parma,_ if you want to see what it looks like.**

 **I also changed Ruby's first encounter with Torchwick. It's something that always bothered me. If Cinder is the head honcho, why was she piloting a getaway vehicle for a relatively small time heist? Surely she has better things to do. And this is also the woman who chewed out her henchmen for not keeping a low profile, but goes up against a renowned Huntress? Again, annoying.**

 **Oh, and don't bother correcting me on the computer stuff. I don't do techno-babble. Just apply suspension of disbelief, please.**

 **Whether you love it or hate it, feel free to exercise your right to say it. So click on those buttons below!**


	8. Chapter 8: The First Move

Lifeblood

 **I don't own RWBY (cries sullenly in a corner).**

 **Chapter 8: The First Move**

Jaune retched into the paper bag, once again cursing the bastard that invented air travel, and whoever tested these motion sickness meds, because they were clearly not working.

"There, there, Jaune. We're almost there." Ruby tried to reassure him while rubbing his back and trying not to look too disgusted.

Yang had no such restraint. "You can survive life-threatening injuries easily and can face a horde of Grimm without breaking a sweat. But one step into a Dustplane and you crumble? You're not making a very good impression on the people here, blondie."

"Yang, either shut up or at least have the decency to kill me." he groaned, just as the plane took a sharp turn that made his insides churn.

"Here's an idea. Why don't I clock you over the head so you can a have a nice nap before orientation?" Yang grinned and extended one of her shot-gauntlets.

In truth, Jaune was extremely tempted. But in the end, he really couldn't trust Yang to not give him a concussion. So he sucked it up and resorted to deep breaths and counting to one thousand.

He was on seven hundred and three when the Dustplane juddered to a stop. The doors hissed open, and he sprinted out at speeds only Ruby could match. Once he reached solid ground, he hunched over, taking large gulps of breath and regaining control of his senses.

"You do realize how pathetic this makes you look?" Yang's teasing voice came from somewhere outside his line of sight.

"It's genetic, every male Arc is cursed with motion sickness." Jaune weakly defended. It was all but medically proven. It seemed that every man in the Arc family is disabled in any kind of vehicle, a fact that his sisters have never stopped teasing him about.

"I suggest keeping that to yourself. Forget that, take a look at this." Yang whistled, impressed at the view of the towering spires of Beacon. "And we're gonna be living here. How are you doing, Ruby?" Yang then began to look around. "Hey, where's Ruby?"

* * *

Ruby's first day at Beacon wasn't going very well.

Granted, it was partly her fault. She really should have known better than to run off like that, but she couldn't help it! How often do you see a fire sword?! Or a Dust-chanelling collapsible staff?! And she could swear she saw a grenade launcher! She _had_ to take a closer look!

Unfortunately, in her excitement, she had failed to notice the absence of Yang and Jaune and now? She had no idea where she was, where she was supposed to go, where everybody else is.

She tried to find another student, but the only one she could find was a cranky-looking white haired girl arguing with another raven-haired girl, and it really didn't look like the kind of scene to interrupt. She was just about to climb on a lamp-post, just to find her way, but a familiar voice called out to her.

"Ruby? Is that you?"

Ruby was flooded with relief. "Velvet!" she rushed at the rabbit Faunus and clung to her like a limpet. "Oh, it is so good to see you!"

"You too! Aren't you supposed to be in the main hall for the headmaster's welcome speech?"

"Mmmhm! But I got lost..." she finished with an embarassed blush.

Velvet supressed a chuckle. "Alright, come on. I'll show you the way. Maybe I can say hi to Jaune and Yang."

"Thank you so much!" Ruby cheered, and began to closely follow Velvet.

"I'm really happy that all three of you will be coming this year."

"Not yet. We still have to get past initiation." Ruby corrected her. "Speaking of which, any chance you could give me a hint on that?"

Velvet smirked. "Nice try, Yang and Jaune already asked, but I'm sworn to secrecy. I will say this. You guys needn't worry, you'll pass this with flying colors. Ah, here we are."

They had reached a set of double doors, which upon opening revealed a mass of students milling about maing idle chatter. Ruby quickly spotted two heads of blonde hair.

"Yang! Jaune!" she called out.

"Well, here I thought you were never going to show up. You completely ditched us, sis! I was gonna do that."

"You were gonna abandon me?!"

"Uhh...no?" Yang said awkwardly, before noticing the girl with Ruby. "Well, if it isn't our favorite bunny girl!" she exclaimed, grateful for the change in subject.

"Don't let my sister hear you say that." Velvet smirked, before accepting a hug from Jaune and Yang. "It is good to see you guys again, but we can catch up later. I really must get going before Professor Goodwitch catches me in here."

Jaune nodded. "Yeah, she did seem..."

"Scary?"

"Bitchy?"

" _Strict._ " he finished before Ruby and Yang could come up with more suggestions.

Velvet chuckled. "She isn't too bad once you get used to her. Well, good luck guys." She started to exit, but turned back for one last comment. "Oh yeah, I gotta warn you. Don't take what Professor Ozpin says personally. I'll talk to you later!"

They watched her go, confusion on their faces. "I wonder what she meant by that..." Jaune mumbled.

"Well we're about to find out." Yang drew their attention to the front of the hall, where Goodwitch and Ozpin had stepped onto the stage. Ozpin cleared his thoat and began his speech.

"I'll keep this brief." he started. "All of you have come here for knowledge. You have travelled here to hone your crafts and acquire new skills. You will then dedicate your lives to protect the people, to defend Remnant from the threat of Grimm. You will train to be the guardians of this world

"But when I look at you young people, all I see is wasted energy. Potential needing purpose and direction. You all assume that what we teach you here will give those things, but you will so learn that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you take the first step."

Ozpin stepped away from the stunned students, and was replaced by Goodwitch. "You will assemble in the ballroom tonight and reconvene here tomorrow morning at 9:00 sharp. Dinner and breakfast shall be provided in the cafeteria. You are all dismissed."

"So that's what she meant." Jaune muttered, understanding Velvet's warning. He had to admit, it wasn't an orthodox speech, but he understood the point, and so had Yang and Ruby. Sadly, very few others seemed to do the same, judging by their offended expressions.

"Is it just me, or did the headmaster seem a bit... off?" Yang asked. "Like he wasn't really all there."

"I thought it was just me." Ruby agreed. "You've met him before, haven't you, Jaune? Is he always that... spaced out?"

"I've met him. He seemed more focused at the time, but it was a serious situation. It could just be that he has a lot on his mind. Running an entire academy isn't easy after all."

"You could be right." Yang conceded. "Now, where is that cafeteria she mentioned?"

* * *

"I can't believe you threw out my onesie." Jaune whined.

"It was for your own good, blondie."

"What do you mean my own good? Thanks to you, I have no sleepwear."

Yang sighed and put her hand on Jaune's shoulder. "Jaune, you have been my friend for over four years now. That is why I refuse to let you wear that stupid onesie for another night! Bad enough that you wear that damn hoodie all the time."

"It's not stupid!" Jaune argued. "It's warm, comfortable and it was a gift from my sisters!"

"Jaune, all due respect to your sisters, but they're not the best when it comes to your fashion choices. Need I remind you of that dress they made you wear?"

Ruby sighed. They had been arguing for nearly fifteen minutes and while it was funny at first, they were getting loud and people were starting to stare and make her uncomfortable. She couldn't stop it either, since even though she thought it was out of line for Yang to go through Jaune's stuff, wearing the onesie _would_ have been a bad idea.

"Will you be dolts be quiet?!" a girl hissed from behind her. Ruby whirled around to see the scary white-haired girl from earlier. Yang and Jaune ceased their arguing to stare at the girl who interrupted them. "Some of us are trying to sleep!"

Jaune was the first to speak up and both Yang and Ruby noticed him turn on his 'charm'. _Oh, here we go._ Ruby thought.

"I'm Jaune Arc. Sorry about all the noise. We'll let you have your beauty sleep. Though I'm sure a girl as stunning as you wouldn't need it, miss...?"

"Weiss Schnee." she answered haughtily. "It seems there a few here that have some sense after all. Just ensure that you and your..." she gave a quick disdainful glance at Ruby and Yang. "companions stay quiet for the rest of the night."

"Of course. Please, go back to sleep. We won't disturb you anymore."

Weiss huffed and retreated back to her sleeping bag. Jaune whistled lowly as he watched her leave. "Whoa.."

Yang rolled her eyes. "Nice job, Lady-killer. Didn't think you would go for the Miss High and Mighty type, though."

"You're kidding, right? Did you see her, she was beautiful! And you'd think she was some kind of royalty with the way she carried herself. Though I'm sure I've heard of that name somewhere..."

"I think you mean a royal pain in the a-"

"Yang!" Ruby admonished.

"...Well she is." Yang mumbled.

"I got it!" Jaune exclaimed, taking care to keep his voice down. He got out his Scroll and began rapidly clicking on the screen. "I think I know where I recognized her from." The two sisters peered over his shoulders into the screen.

"Schnee Heiress' Final Concert?" Ruby read the headline of the news article.

"So the Ice Queen is some sort of singing star? How come I've never heard of her?"

"She's from Atlas. And apparently she's only performed a few times, but every single one of her concerts have been sold-out. I missed out on getting tickets for this!"

"Wow. Stalker much, blondie?"

"I can appreciate good music!" Jaune said indignantly. "And maybe you would too, if you listened."

"Not really my kind of thing." Yang flopped down onto her sleeping bag, a sign that she was getting bored of the conversation.

"Right, I forgot you prefer to drool over those brainless Achieve-Men, don't you?"

Ruby, desperate to stop another argument, diverted the conversation to her own concerns before Yang could retort. "So, are you guys nervous for the initiation tomorrow?"

"Nah." Yang waved her hand dismissively. "I'm actually kind of excited."

"But what if we can't choose our partners and I'm stuck with someone awful for the rest of my school life?!" Ruby cried.

Jaune attempted to placate the panicking socially awkward girl. "Relax, Ruby. I'm sure the Headmaster has a sensible method for choosing who is partnered with who. I mean, look at Velvet! She seems pretty happy with her partner!"

"Yeah!" Yang jumped in. "Ozpin wouldn't pull strings to get you here just to stick you with someone who can't keep up."

"You think so?"

"Trust me, Rubes. Tomorrow's gonna go great."

* * *

It was a beautiful morning. The sun was shining, small puffy clouds floated in the sky, propelled by a gentle breeze. A lone bird soared languidly through the air-

"BIRDIE NO!"

Well, it was nice while it lasted.

Dozens of figures plummeted towards the Emerald Forest each one flaring their Auras and unfurling their weapons to enact their landing strategies. One of them was Ruby, who was repeatedly firing Crescent Rose downwards to slow her descent. Once she neared the tree-line, she fully unraveled Crescent Rose and used its blade to hook around the branches and swing to safety. Once she landed, she sprinted off immediately.

 _Gotta find Yang, gotta find Jaune, gotta find Yang, gotta find Jaune._ Ruby mentally chanted. She had to find one of them as fast as possible, otherwise she could get stuck with a horrible partner, like the scary girl from last night.

 _The first person you make eye-contact with will be your partner for the next four years._ She recalled the Headmaster's parting words.

 _Sensible method my left foot!_ she thought. _I bet he gets a kick out of seeing the students flounder around like this._

She was broken out of her thoughts by the sounds of battle up ahead. She burst through the trees to see the same white-haired girl (Weiss, she remembered) facing several Beowolves with a rapier with several Dust vials at its hilt.

Ruby was sorely tempted to just keep running. Weiss did seem to have everything under control. But in the end, she just couldn't leave someone on their own like that. Dashing forwards, she swung Crescent Rose to decapitate a Beowolf trying to sneak up on Weiss.

Weiss turned back startled, before her face twisted into a sneer."Tch. It seems that you are my new _partner_." She said that last word with so much disdain, Ruby couldn't help but cringe. "Just try not to get in my way." she snapped before rushing at another Beowolf, killing it swiftly with a well placed thrust through its throat. Weiss used a glyph to launch herself spinning over the dying Grimm, her rapier slashing at the beasts around her.

Ruby stood transfixed before deciding to join the battle. _I think I made a friend._ Ruby thought sarcastically before jumping in.

* * *

Jaune met Yang's eyes as they fell, and an unspoken agreement passed between them. _Race ya to the ruins._ Jaune drew Crocea Mors and hooked his foot through the strap of Rosea Custos, and hardened the blood inside to brace for impact. He skidded across several branches in an action similar to skateboarding. Spotting a tree ahead of him, he held Crocea in a reverse grip and stabbed it into the trunk and used it to cling to the tree.

After dropping down Jaune jogged through the trees, making sure to keep his eyes and ears open. Beating Yang to the ruins was all well and good, but it would mean nothing if he didn't find a partner. He folowed the sound of gunshots and clangs of metal, unmistakeale sounds of combat.

The clamor grew closer, until he came face to face with a beautiful red-headed girl, wearing bronze armor, and a sword and shield strapped to her back. He ceased his examination of her once he noted that she was yelling at him.

" _RUN! HURRY UP AND GET AWAY!"_

She sprinted past him, and he had just enough time to notice her emerald green eyes, before looking into the trees to see what was chasing her. Within seconds, he was racing away after the red-head.

Behind them was a large armored Grimm, resembling a scorpion. Its fangs and pincers were gnashing menacingly, and its bright golden tail swayed hypnotically over its body. Its numerous red eyes swiveled onto them, regarding them as prey.

"I don't mean to be pushy," Jaune yelled while running next to the girl. "But what exactly did you do to piss that thing off?!"

"Nothing!" she shouted back. "It found me, and I can't take it down by myself!"

"Well, now you have me, so let's try to change that, shall we?" Jaune scanned the treeline and spotted a particularly thick and tall tree.

"Hey!" he caught the girl's attention. "I'm going ahead, but do you think you can lure it to that tree over there?" The girl looked at the tree he indicated, which was getting closer by the second before nodding in agreement. "Get ready to jump away."

Without another word, Jaune sprinted ahead, drawing his sword and pumping Aura into his arms. With one almighty swing, Crocea Mors cleaved through the tree, splinters and bark flying everywhere. The tree groaned and cracked, bowing inwards before falling towards him at an alarming rate.

Jaune had timed it just right. The girl had led the Deathstalker mere meters away from the tree. The trunk mercilessly crushed down the Grimm, even as it raised a pincer to protect itself. The Deathstalker roared as it struggled to lift the tree off of its body.

The redhead took the opportunity and swung her sword down on the raised pincer, lopping it off through the less-protected joint. Without the support of the pincer, the tree pressed down even more on the scorpion-like Grimm. Jaune quickly followed up by jumping on to the Deathstalker's abdomen and plunging Crocea Mors as deep as he could into one of its large red eyes.

The Deathstalker squirmed vigourously, and its mandibles clacked ferociously at him. However Jaune only continued to drive his blade deeper into its head. Less than a minute later, the scorpion stilled.

Jaune heaved a sigh of relief. The harsh shaking had threatened to bring up his breakfast, which would have been a poor first impression to make on his new partner. He jumped off of the decaying Grimm, and turned to the redhead, who was watching with an impressed look on her face. "I should have asked this earlier, but what's your name?"

The girl stared at him oddly for a moment before smiling and extending her hand. "My name is Pyrrah Nikos. And you are?"

"Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls of the tongue, ladies love it." he winked at her.

A low roar resonated through the trees.

"What was that?" Pyrrah asked somewhat nervously.

"I don't know, but I don't want to find out."

"Agreed. I don't want to meet any more surprises either."

The two resumed their run through the forest, but this time at a more sedate pace to conserve their energy. Jaune couldn't help but ask another question.

"Hey, I don't mean to be rude, but aren't you the girl from the Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes box?"

* * *

Weiss hated her new partner.

Alright, maybe _hate_ was too strong of a strong word. Perhaps _dislike_ or _annoyed by_ would be better descriptions.

Ruby was way too perky. Weiss could understand some excitement, the exhiliration, but did she not understand the seriousness of the situation they were in? This initiation exam determined their future as Huntresses! And she was treating it like a game!

At least she was competent enough with that oversized gardening tool. If she had proven to be inadequate in combat, she would have moved on to another partner immediately.

"I think I can see the ruins from here!"

And let's not forget her latest source of irritation. Namely: clinging for dear life to the feathers of a massive Nevermore. She supposed it was more fear than irritation, to be honest.

"Ruby!" she was forced to yell in order for her voice to carry over the buffeting winds. "I told you that this was a terrible idea!"

"What are you talking about! We're nearly there!"

"This isn't a taxi! It's not just going to drop us off when we feel like it!"

"That's why we have to jump!"

"What?!" But Ruby was already gone. "Oh you insufferable little brat!"

 _That dolt! Okay, calm down. You've faced unfavorable odds before. Just_ _ **think**_ _._ Weiss racked her brain for whatever she learned about a Nevermore. _I could just jump off, my glyphs would ensure a safe landing. Ugh, but I'd prefer to avoid dealing with this nuisance for any longer. It'd be best to take care of it. But Myrtenaster can't pierce these feathers._ She took note of her position on the avian Grimm. She was holding on to its lower back, just below the wing joints. _That could work._

Hauling herself up the Grimm's back, she reached a position where she was right next to its wings. Tightening her grip with her left hand, she used her right to draw her rapier. The chamber clicked and revolved to the chamber full of pale-blue of high-grade ice Dust. _Here goes nothing._ Weiss jabbed Myrtenaster into the wing joint.

The instant the sword point made contact, ice sprouted like a massive flower on its joint, rendering its right wing immobile. The Nevermore panicked, its other wing flapping furiously, but its struggles only drove it further into a chaotic descent.

Unfortunately, this had the unintended effect of shaking Weiss violently, to the point where she was nearly flung off several times. _Alright, maybe not my best idea._ Acting quickly, Weiss released her grip on the black feathers. Before she gained too much speed, she summoned a glyph and angled it towards the circular ruins below.

She landed with her usual grace and posture, and could see the Nevermore careening into the forest, the ice on its wing cracking slightly, but still intact. With any luck, by the time it breaks free she would be well away.

She ran to the ruins and spotted her several figures standing in front of the ruins. However she ignored them in favor of confronting her wayward partner.

"How could you leave me?!" she demanded, her hands on her hips and a glare on her face that would make her sister proud.

"I'm sorry! I told you to jump! And it looked like you had everything under control!"

"No thanks to you!"

Yang stepped in before things could escalate. "Come on, you two, leave it alone. All's well that ends well, right princess?"

Almost had it.

Weiss glared at her, her eyes frigid orbs of ice. " _Do not_ call me _princess_."

Any defense from Yang was gratefully cut off the sound of yelling coming from the tree line. Weiss, along with everybody else, looked to see two figures. The first was familiar to her. She was Pyrrah Nikos, an acquaintance (she really hadn't spent enough time with her to call her a friend) that she had met several times due to their similar social backgrounds.

The second one was the blonde boy, Jaune, who had flirted with her from last night. At least now she knew who had ended up being Pyrrah's partner. _Now if only I can get on her team._

"Jaune!" Ruby waved her arms to the boy "Over here!"

"Ah, damn!" Jaune grouched. "I was sure that I would get here first."

"Well, you thought wrong, blondie." Yang said smugly _Isn't she blond too?_ , Weiss thought idly. "You owe me."

"Yeah, yeah. Now where are those stupid relics?"

* * *

Five minutes later, the group of eight had been introduced, every newly-formed partnership now equipped with a shiny oversized chess piece, and all of them running to the ruins. Soon, they were facing a set of sheer stone cliffs with more stone ruins and bridges.

Memories flooded Jaune's mind. Images from four years ago faced him as he surveyed the cliffs. He remembered them as if they only happened yesterday.

Yang noticed the far away look on Jaune's face and put her hand on his shoulder. "Feeling nostalgic?"

Jaune gave her a small smile. "Just a bit. Come on, the way up is over there."

His partner turned to him. "Have you been here before, Jaune?"

"Once, a few years ago. A story for another day." he assured her.

"Alright!" Nora declared. "We got this initiation in the bag!"

A loud screech halted their running. They swung their gazes back to the forest to see a massive Nevermore incoming fast.

"You just had to jinx it didn't ya?" Jaune asked rhetorically.

"I thought you took care of that overgrown turkey." Yang said to Weiss.

"It seems that your efforts only served to enrage it further." Blake added.

"Don't worry!" Ruby assured everyone, her voice carrying utmost confidence. "Between the eight of us, that thing will be a piece o' cake!"

"Will you stop saying things like that?!"

"Relax, Jaune, nothing's gonna-"

 _ **GROOOOOOH!**_

The teens watched in a mixture of horror and morbid fascination as a gigantic, black, beast hurtled out of the trees, tearing through the trees as if they were mere blades of grass. It was huge, easily thirty, maybe forty feet tall. Each step it took with its massive paws made a deep crater and seemed to make the ground shake. Its legs and back were covered in innumerable white spines.

The monster raised its head, or to be more precise, _heads._ There were three of them, each one snarling and growling, their red eyes glowing with rage. The heads moved independently, seemingly sniffing the air in a manner not unlike a dog. Each head had a set of teeth, all of them as big as a grown man. Soon enough, all three heads snapped towards them, and roared in a ghastly harmony.

"No..." Weiss breathed out, before yelling out in an extremely panicked voice. "We have to get out of here now!"

Her voice snapped them back to their running, which they elevated into full-blown sprinting alongside the cliff edge. "Weiss, what the hell is that thing?!" Jaune yelled.

"It's a Cerberus! A more advanced form of a Beowolf."

"That's impossible!" said Ren, his stoic mask slipping slightly. "The last recorded sighting was over thirty years ago!"

"That's great and all," Yang interrupted. "but how do we kill it?"

"Kill it?! We need to be a world away from here, from _that_. The only hope we have of surviving is if we get to a professor in time."

An ear-splitting shriek drew their attention to the Nevermore which was currently hovering over their escape route.

"Great. Anybody got any bright ideas?" Yang turned to her fellow initiates.

"Well, when all else fails..." Ruby unfurled Crescent Rose to its full glory, prompting everyone else to ready their armaments.

"I like that idea!" Nora raised her warhammer. "If we're going down, we go down swinging!"

"As much as a valiant last stand may appeal to me as an ending, I would prefer to have at least some pretence of a plan." Ren said wryly.

"I have a plan, but it's..." Jaune paused in uncertainty. "it's _insane._ "

"We're facing two massive Grimm of epic proportions, back-up is nowhere in sight, retreat is impossible, and death is almost a certainty." Blake pointed out. "I'll take insane any day of the week."

"Alright, Ruby and Pyrrah, you two are with me. We'll tackle the Nevermore. Everyone else keep the Cerberus occupied."

"Occupied?" Weiss exclaimed. "What do you propose we do, play fetch with it?"

"I didn't say the plan was perfect! Try to keep it where it already is as much as possible, and out of our way. And get ready to back off when I give the signal."

"And the signal is...?"

"Trust me, you'll know it when you see it. Now, go!"

"Aye, aye fearless leader!" Nora lead the charge, running straight towards the three-headed monstrosity. The others quickly followed suit, engaging the beast in battle.

"Well, guys," Jaune turned to the two redheads. "Are you up for another flight?"

* * *

Yang jumped straight up as she caught the central head in an uppercut. The head snapped back as the other two levelled a glare at her. The Cerberus raised its paw to strike her in midair, and she raised her arms but was still smacked painfully into the ground.

Blake and Ren darted past her, weaving in between the Grimm's legs in an attempt to cut down its thick legs. But their strikes could only create sparks against it's armor, and they had to be constantly on the move lest they be trampled underfoot or skewered by its spines.

The beast roared and began to shake. Weiss noticed its spines seemingly vibrate. "EVERYONE GET BACK!" The others jumped back as far as possible wihout question. Weiss quickly raised a barrier glyph in front of herself. Not a moment later, several spines shot out of its body with tremendous speed in all directions. A few struck Weiss' barrier, and the force threatened to crack it, but the barrier thankfully held.

Once the onslaught had ceased, the Cerberus charged forward. Nora sprinted straight at it, while firing her signature pink grenades into the roaring beast's mouths. The head on the left bent down with the intention of trapping her within its jaws. But Nora nimbly dodged to the side, while unfurling her hammer. In an immense display of physical strength, she swung Magnhild to hit the side of its head, the impact making it crash against the other two.

Slightly dazed, the Cerberus roared and stumbled, allowing Weiss to dart forwards, her rapier gleaming with lightning Dust. Using several glyphs to boost herself upwards, she jabbed Myrtenaster into the center head's mouth, the electricity sparking into its maw. Unfortunately, this only had the effect of irritating the beast. It rammed forward, the hard skull impacting painfully against her abdomen, and she flew back.

Ren ran back to catch her before she hit the ground. "Hey, you alright, Weiss? You were hit pretty hard."

"Ugh." Weiss grunted and attempted to stand, before hissing in pain. "That beast is much tougher than I thought. I poured nearly half of of my total supply of lightning Dust into that attack and it barely had any effect. I'll be fine. Get back to the others. I'll rejoin the battle shortly."

"I disagree. You need to rest, now."

"Do not treat me like an invali-"

"If you participate in the battle in your injured state you will only get in the way. And we cannot afford distractions as it is. Take this opportunity to recuperate. If you wish to help, provide whatever long range support you can, but stay out of danger."

Weiss huffed, but she understood Ren's blunt words. "Fine. I'll stay here and watch for Jaune's signal."

Ren nodded wordlessly, setting her on her feet. He quickly reloaded his dual pistols, and leapt back into the fray.

Weiss could only sigh and curse her inadequacy at that moment. But before she could wallow any further, she snapped herself out of it. She turned around to see Jaune, Pyrrah and Ruby engaging the Nevermore. _Whatever you're planning to do Jaune, do it quickly._

* * *

The Nevermore screamed and flapped its wings, launching numerous feathers towards the three Huntsmen-in training. They dodged and blocked the deadly projectiles, slowly making their way to the large bird-Grimm.

Pyrrah and Ruby changed their weapons to their rifle forms, but their shots merely glanced off of the Nevermore's feathers. Nevertheless, the shots succeeded in their goal to draw the attention of the avian Grimm. The Nevermore circled them, before quickly swooping downwards.

The three of them stood in the face of the approaching Grimm. Jaune turned to his two companions. "This is it, girls, I don't think we'll get another chance this close to perfect. You two clear on the plan?"

Ruby nodded. "You weren't kidding when you said this was insane."

"But if it works," Pyrrah pointed out. "All of us will make it out of here alive."

"And with a brilliant story to tell. But that's a big _if,_ girls. Now, focus. The timing of this has to right on the nose."

Ruby got into position, crouching low, Crescent Rose held behind her. Pyrrah stood in front of her, her shield raised high. Jaune stood to the side, carefully watching the incoming Nevermore.

"Not yet... not yet... NOW!"

At Jaune's signal, Ruby sprinted forward, her body nothing but a crimson blur. She rocketed towards Pyrrah. In a split second, Ruby jumped on the raised shield, just as Pyrrah pushed her straight up into the air. Ruby sprang upwards, her scythe held above her head. Instantly, she was whisked away by the Nevermore, the blade lodged deep into its right wing.

Pyrrah immediately off with Jaune right on her heels, until she was slightly ahead of the Nevermore. After reloading Milo, she fired several more shots at the avian Grimm, gaining its full attention. _Time for Phase 2_ she thought, seeing the Cerberus up ahead, by the cliffs.

"Ruby, get ready!" Jaune yelled, gripping a cord made of his blood, hardened as much as possible, running all the way from his left arm all the way to Ruby, the blood forming a layer over her clothes. He ran until he was about thirty meters away from the Cerberus, which had a leg currently trapped in a pillar of cracking ice and bombarded by explosions, all of which having no noticeable effect.

Jaune dug his heels into the ground, and firmly held the blood cord. His Aura flickered around him, the sheer density of it making it seem like a near-opaque shroud around his body. He took a deep breath and started to pull. High above him, Ruby felt the pull on her waist and tightened her grip on Crescent Rose.

For a few seconds, nothing happened. Soon, however, the Nevermore was noticeably growing frustrated. Its right wing was flapping furiously, in a vain attempt to relieve the burden on it, but its struggles only lodged the scythe deeper.

The Nevermore dipped downwards, its wing tilted towards the ground, and its body spiraling towards the cliffs. Jaune continued to haul at the crimson rope to make sure it heads directly for their target.

Jaune's plan stemmed from the undeniable fact that they had no hope in defeating the Cerberus. They may outnumber it, but they were hopelessly outmatched. They could attempt to flee, but some of them will inevitably be forced to stay behind to engage either of the threats, and that was unacceptable.

So he scrapped that idea, and instead looking for another surefire way to ensure that the two Grimm will no longer be able to chase them. Sure, maybe they could kill the Nevermore, but the Cerberus would still be a major threat. And they couldn't afford to wait or look for reinforcements. Then he realized,

They didn't have to _kill_ them, they just had to get rid of them.

"Ruby, now!" With one almighty roar, Jaune heaved with all of the strength he could muster. Ruby began to fire Crescent Rose repeatedly and rapidly.

Ahead of them, Pyrrah raised her hands, which were covered in a black Aura. She reached out to Ruby's scythe, its form, its parts. With a push of her power, she willed it to cut through the Nevermore's wing.

The strength of the three of them combined wrenched the wing of the Nevermore clean off. The severed wing fell, leaving a trail of black dust, with Ruby close behind.

With the loss of its wing, the Nevermore panicked, screeching and wailing as it jaggedly descended. The five teens battling the Cerberus immediately leapt of the way, either from fear or understanding.

In a horrifying crash, the giant bird-Grimm collided with the Cerberus. The impact pushed back the Cerberus, and the Nevermore's constant flapping only continued to drive it back. Two of the Cerberus heads instinctively chomped down on the Nevermore, causing the bird to lash out with its beak and and talons.

The two Grimm continued to clash, now completely unconcerned with the eight teenagers they were so hellbent on devouring mere moments ago.

At this point, they could have ran. They could have escaped safely with little chance of the Grimm catching up to them. And perhaps they should have. Of course they should have! Why take any more risk?

But a sharp and bitter killing rage had taken over their senses. Bloodlust had overcome self-preservation. The wanted to finish the fight, to hell with the risk. They were _Huntsmen!_ This was their purpose, and they would see it through.

Yang and Nora, their Auras flaring, raised their gauntlets and hammer respectively, charged fearlessly towards the combating Grimm. They ploughed into the monsters simultaneously, a flaming meteor and a bolt of lightning side-by-side.

Above them, bullets and Dust energy peppered the Grimm. Beneath, the ground shone in a familiar white snowflake pattern.

At an unspoken signal, the two juggernauts began to push the howling behemoths back, slowly at first, but accelerating with each step. It was an impossible sight, two initiates forcing back two Grimm, hundreds of times their size. Their muscles screamed in protest, and their Auras were being pushed to their absolute limits, but they perservered.

Inevitably, though, the Cerberus began to push against them, the Nevermore pretty much helpless in between. A violent contest for ground erupted, between the eight Huntsmen and the Cerberus.

Nora chose that point to disengage, and jump back a few feet. Her body was practically glowing with electricity. She leapt high into the air, Magnhild raised high, before plummeting to the ground and striking it with earth-shattering force.

The ground crumbled, breaking apart into rubble. The rocks collapsed and fell into the foggy abyss below, taking the Grimm and Yang with it. But before she could fall too far, a black ribbon twirled around her, and swung her back up to solid ground.

The eight teens gathered to peer over the broken cliff face, and watch the still-wailing black beasts (hopefully) falling to their deaths. Jaune looked at them. There wasn't a single one of them who wasn't bruised, bloody, exhausted or even all three. But they could not wipe the triumphant smiles off of their faces.

Yang chose that moment to eloquently capture the mood. "Well... that was a thing."

 **Sorry, I just could not resist adding that last line.**

 **Well, anyway here's the eighth installment. Sorry again if it feels a little rushed, but there wasn't really a lot I needed or wanted to change about the events leading up to initiation. And it case it wasn't clear, I** _ **won't**_ **be changing the teams.**

 **Something else I wanted to say. At the time of this upload, 'Lifeblood' has over five thousand views, 51 favorites and 80 followers. It may not seem like a lot, but even just looking at those numbers always make me feel a little better. I feel like I haven't really shown my appreciation, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you all who like my work.**

 **On a more lighthearted note, anyone else psyched for RWBY-Chibi?!**

 **Opinions and comments go in the box below! ;)**


	9. Chapter 9: The Burdens of Leadership

Lifeblood

 **A million thanks for the responses, ladies and gentlemen, because as you know, a writer _feeds_ off of feedback.**

 **...See what I did there?**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY. Sadly, I am not making any money from this.**

 **Chapter 9: The Burdens of Leadership**

"Are you out of your mind?! Did you even consider the consequences of your actions?! They are untrained, inexperienced- they were nowhere near ready..."

Ozpin sat behind his desk, unashamedly sipping from his coffee mug, allowing Glynda to release her frustrations. He idly wondered whether this was what it felt like to be a child being scolded for misbehaving, which was ironic, considering the considerable age difference between them.

"You allowed _initiates_ to face a _Cerberus_ , a Grimm that even fully-fledged Huntsmen fear! You were supposed to oversee them!"

"If Peter had intervened, I would have been forced to disqualify them." Ozpin explained.

"Don't give me that." Glynda was seething. "They had been accepted the moment they touched a relic. You know that if it was any other team you would've made the call immediately."

"You're right. If it was anyone else, I would have ordered Peter to get them to safety. But they aren't just _anyone_ , are they Glynda?"

"That is beside the point-"

"That is completely the point. Team RWBY and JNPR possess extraordinary skills. As they are now, they are more powerful than even some of our third years, even if they lack true field experience. We can't afford to go easy on them. Especially not now." Ozpin whispered that final part so only Glynda heard it.

"Ozpin, they are childre-"

"No, they are not!" Ozpin finally raised his voice, before collecting himself and lowering his voice to its normal register. "They are not, _children_ anymore. You know that. They gave up that privilege the moment they enrolled in this school, the instant they chose this life. Their time time of innocence is over."

Glynda could make no more argument. She knew, _knew_ and completely agreed that those two teams were meant for something greater, and Ozpin's sink or swim approach to their growth was undoubtedly the best way for them to develop, now more than ever.

But she despised it with a passion. Discipline and maturity she could understand, but what Ozpin was proposing would put the students, _her_ students through hell. She knew what happened to those thrown into war who weren't ready. It broke them. Broke them so badly that the pieces never quite fit together again.

The elevator dinged, and a Oobleck and Port emerged.

"Barty, Peter!" Ozpin greeted. "How was the investigation?"

"It bore several surprising, yet disappointing results." Peter and Bartholomew both flopped down on a chair, and accepted the offered cup of coffee gratefully. He drained the cup before speaking.

"As you instructed, I made my way down to the bottom of the gorge, and found the Cerberus, or what was left of it." Peter reported in his usual melodramatic speech.

"Was it already dead?"

"No, but those children sure gave it their best shot. I barely had to do anything further, one strong strike with my blunderbuss and it crumbled."

Bartholomew took over from there. "I tracked where the Cerberus originated, not like it was that difficult, it wasn't the subtlest creature. I followed the tracks deep into the forest, far from the range of the launch pads.

The tracks led to a cave, one that we had already known about, it's marked on our maps. But the surprising thing is, there was no sign of any Grimm activity in that cave the last time we scouted the forest, which was only a year or so ago."

"It is possible that the Cerberus migrated from the outer regions of the forest, maybe even all the way from Forever Fall." Peter, their Grimm expert, mused. "Cerberus migration patterns have never been studied after all." However, even that theory strained credulity. It was hard to miss a ten-ton, three-headed Grimm, lumbering through the trees.

"Even if we accept the theory of migration," Glynda began, "why was it acting so aggressively? It had no reason to approach the school as recklessly as it did. While we're on the subject, do you have any idea why that Deathstalker chose to venture out of that cave?"

"I admit that it _was_ unusual." Peter nodded. "That Deathstalker had been laying dormant in that cave for decades, even with the presence of all of the Huntsmen we've sent down the forest throughout the years."

"I've reviewed the forest cameras." said Ozpin. "No-one came within five hundred meters of the cave. The Deathstalker simply crawled out, and began to pursue the first student it came across, which, as you know, was Miss Nikos."

"As for your first question, Glynda," said Peter. "I have no explanation as to why they acted in such a manner. However, this isn't the first time I have heard of this behavior."

"What do you mean?"

"As you know, I regularly monitor the Grimm reports around Vale, to look for signs of an incoming attack, or possible mission opportunities for the students. The number of Grimm sightings and attacks on the outer settlements have increased by at least 30% in the past two years. Nothing too serious, though still worrying, I have spoken with colleagues at Haven, Shade, and Atlas, and they have had similar observations."

"So either the Grimm are becoming more aggressive, the Grimm population is increasing, or perhaps both." Oobleck sighed. "Do we have any good news?"

Silence. "Well," Peter cleared his throat to draw their attention. "they are serving blueberry pancakes in the cafeteria this morning."

* * *

Understandably, after the harrowing battle fought by the eight initiates, they were all just about ready to collapse. It took all of the discipline they had, (which wasn't much for some of them) to stay awake during the team formation ceremony.

That being said, after the being dismissed and shown their rooms, the newly-formed teams of JNPR and RWBY ate their dinner, showered and began sleeping like the dead.

Pyrrah rose from her slumber well before her team-mates even started twitching. Years of routine training had conditioned her body to awaken at set times every day, no matter how exhausted she was. Discipline warred against comfort, but after the struggle, she decided to make a small exception, settling for sitting up in her bed.

She looked around the room, and set her gaze on her new team-mates, her companions for the next four years. Once again, she thanked her lucky stars for her fortune. Every worry she had before coming to Beacon were all assuaged during the initiation.

She chose Beacon instead of Haven Academy to escape her fame, but she had no idea it would work out so well. Upon formally introducing herself to her new comrades, they didn't so much as bat an eyelid, (except for Nora, but she was excited about everything).

She rose from her bed, deciding to take a shower before waking up her... friends? That word came so easily to her now. She rolled it around in her head and even said it silently a few times. She really liked the sound of that.

Jaune and Nora, even Ruby and Yang who weren't even on her team, surprised her with their casual use of the word. It made her somewhat jealous that they could make friends so easily and confidently. Though she supposed it didn't really matter now.

As well as their acceptance, she couldn't help but marvel at their skills and abilities. At first, she was worried that she may overshadow them, but now she was wondering if it was the other way around. She chided herself for her arrogance, reminding herself that there all kinds of people on Remnant, not just those she faced in tournaments.

Maybe it was arrogance again, but she felt sure in saying that Team JNPR and RWBY were most likely in the top tiers in their year when it comes to ability. A fact that brought her no small amount of pride.

One thing she knew for sure; her partner definitely deserved to be the team leader. It was through his ingenious (yet admittedly crazy) plan that they had not just survived an encounter with one of the most feared Grimm in history, but defeated it!

Now showered, and dressed in her new uniform, Pyrrah decided that she should wake her partner first. "Jaune. Jaune, time to wake up." She shook his shoulder lightly.

Jaune grumbled for a few moments, before one eyelid cracked open, blearily rolling around before settling on her own emerald eyes. "Oh, hey Pyrrah..." he mumbled.

"Hello again." she smiled. "Classes start in an hour. I thought we should get some breakfast first."

"Oh, great idea." Jaune yawned and stretched his arms, before hauling himself out of be towards the showers. "You mind waking Ren and Nora as well?"

"Will do, leader."

"You don't have to call me that..." he grumbled before disappearing into the bathroom.

Pyrrah looked at her remaining two team-mates, wondering who two wake first, eventually thinking that Ren would probably be the calmer of the two upon waking. After he rose, Pyrrah turned to Nora, where she found more of a struggle.

"Nora, please wake up. We can't be late for class on the first day."

"Five more minutes..."

"That's what you said five minutes ago." Jaune huffed, and turned to their black-haired team-mate, who had just finished putting on his tie. "Give us a hand here will ya?"

Ren knelt down at Nora's bedside, leaned in close and whispered. "Nora, if you don't hurry, the cafeteria will run out of pancakes."

 _WHOOOOSH!_

When the dust settled, Nora was gone, and the door to their dormitory wide open. Jaune looked at the other two remaining. "I wonder how long it'll take her to notice that she's still in her pajamas."

* * *

Weiss' morning had not started off well.

After a rude awakening from her excitable leader, and a session of interior decorating and amateur carpentry, Team RWBY was forced to sprint to their first class of the semester. And right in front of the Headmaster and his Deputy! Weiss couldn't believe she had to suffer such an embarrassment on her first day.

However, her troubles were only beginning. They barely made it to class on time, but thankfully no punishment was administered. They broke off to find seats, with Ruby and Yang choosing to sit next to Jaune.

Once they had all settled, Professor Port had launched into a lecture about the characteristics of a Boarbatusk... or at least, that's what it sounded like. It had began as a standard lecture, but had somehow degenerated into a tale of Professor Port's 'heroic' deeds, only tangential to the original topic.

Nevertheless, she diligently took notes as accurately as she was able, although she seemed to be the only one. Blake was engrossed in another book, Yang and Jaune seemed to be engaged in an intense arm-wrestling match. And her partner and leader? She had been driven asleep after the third sentence, her head resting on her hand, balanced on her elbow.

Weiss took this opportunity to curse her misfortune with regards to her team. Ability-wise, she had no problem with them. As a matter of fact she could honestly say that they were all just as, if not more skilled than she was (which was difficult enough to admit). But their attitudes left much to be desired.

Ruby and Yang were childish to the point where she wondered how they ever got accepted into Beacon, never mind initiation. Blake, their resident bibliophile, seemed determined to work a subtle jab against her family name every second sentence.

Their dysfunctionality frustrated her, especially when she saw Team JNPR in comparison. Jaune was a competent leader, his tactics yesterday were proof enough. Pyrrah was a highly skilled, highly disciplined combatant. Ren was seemed to be perpetually calm and logical. The only hitch seemed to be Nora, but even she was held at bay by Ren's influence.

"So, what is the moral of this story? A true Huntsman must be honorable!"

She had to fix this. If she was to be stuck with this team, reduced to a follower? Then she had to show them how _real_ Huntsmen are meant to behave. How a _leader_ behaves, and perhaps it wouldn't be too late for them to learn.

"A true Huntsmen must be strategic, well-educated, and wise! So, who among you students believe that they possess these qualities?"

"I do, sir!"

"Wha?!"

Weiss whirled around to look at Ruby, who had apparently fallen off of her hand judging by the large red mark on her forehead, and Jaune and Yang sniggering next to her.

"Excellent!" Professor Port bellowed. "Two Huntresses, from the same team no less! Simply marvelous! Both of you, gather your equipment and prepare for combat. You have fifteen minutes."

Weiss glared at Ruby, who looked absolutely clueless about what's happening. Jaune pulled her down, presumably to explain to her what she had to do. Ruby's face gained a look of excitement, before she rushed to Weiss' side in a burst of rose petals.

"Isn't this great, Weiss! This'll be a great way to work on our teamwork! We have to get our stuff- I'll meet you in the lockers!" A gust of wind, and Ruby was off once again.

Weiss' eye twitched, but she restrained herself from losing control in the middle of the classroom. She followed the trail of flower petals all the way to the locker rooms, where Ruby was a twister, haphazardly throwing off her uniform and replacing it with her red and black combat dress.

Weiss was more sedate at changing, but she wasted no time in gathering her equipment and readying Myrtenaster. She wasn't sure what kind of task the professor had planned, so she played it safe and filled up her rapier's chambers completely.

Ten minutes later, Weiss and Ruby strode into the arena. As soon as they entered, a door opened from the back wall of the arena, and a massive cage slowly emerged from.

Professor Port began talking again. "Originally, I planned for somebody to demonstrate a battle against a Boarbatusk. And I had such a fine specimen on standby. However, I feel that would be far too easy for two Huntresses of your caliber."

They heard the telltale clicks of the lock mechanisms disengaging. The gate fell forwards with a loud clang, revealing the beast held within. Ruby and Weiss raised Crescent Rose and Myrtenaster respectively in preparation.

"I thought that this creature would be a good warm-up for the second years, but now I believe it to be a worthy opponent for you two."

It's body was serpentine, scaly, at least five feet wide. It poked its ivory-white head, covered in a red-patterned mask, out of the cage, its tongue flicking in and out. It slowly slithered out of the cage to show its entire body, revealing its black half with and identical mask. Its gaze locked on the two Hunters, frozen in the face of the beast.

"Behold, the mighty King Taijitu!" the professor declared. "This beast is just a few feet shy of making it into the Emperor-class of Taijitu, but it is most certainly at the upper end of the spectrum, much tougher than your average Taijitu. I shall offer you advice at my own leisure. Other than that, you are on your own! Good luck!"

As if waiting for his cue, the snake-Grimm lunged forward with lightning-fast speeds, its maw wide open. The two Huntresses immediately reacted, using their Semblances to evade. The serpent missed them completely, its powerful jaws leaving deep gouges in the floor.

Ruby leapt into the air spinning her scythe towards the back of the black head, straight through its blind spot, but the white head dove towards her. Weiss conjured a barrier glyph to her side, which the King Taijitu bounced off of, leaving Ruby unharmed. However, Ruby lost the element of surprise, and the black half reared its head to knock her away.

"The eyes of the Taijitu heads are linked!" Professor Port's voice rang out. "That combined with its flexible heads, means that it has virtually no blind spot!"

 _That would have been good to know five seconds ago!_ Weiss snapped internally. Weiss plunged her rapier straight down into the floor, coating it with a thick layer of ice, with the intention of impeding its movement. As expected, the King Taijitu slipped on the ice, its scaly body unable to find purchase on the ice, its heads writhing in distress.

Unfortunately, this also meant that Ruby, who had been zipping around the Grimm, immediately lost her footing, crashing painfully into the side of the Grimm with speeds just below supersonic. The impact knocked the breath from her lungs, and she just barely managed to keep her hold on Crescent Rose.

The King Taijitu, sensing the prey right next to it, curled in on itself, its body forming a dome, trapping Ruby within. "Ruby!" Weiss cried, dashing forward to extricate her partner from the trap, at the same time willing the ice to shatter.

"This is one of the Taijitu's preferred tactics to capture prey. One head engages the captive, while the other focuses its attention to the outside to prevent any incursions!"

The black head hissed menacingly at her from its position at the top of the coiled dome. Weiss circled the reptilian dome, hoping to find some way to free Ruby. Suddenly, the Taijitu shuddered, and the scaly dome momentarily destabilized. Weiss spotted a chance and darted towards it.

She spun Myrtenaster's chambers, and delivered a vicious upward swipe at the Taijitu, her strength bolstered by Wind Dust. The dome was briefly lifted into the air, forcing the King Taijitu to uncoil and slither away, revealing a long gash in its midsection, and a vicious swipe across the eyes on its white head, presumably Ruby's handiwork.

Ruby appeared at Weiss' side, a small bruise on her forehead. "Thanks for getting me out of there, partner."

"No problem." Weiss eyed her injury, which she noted was already healing. "It looks like you had everything under control."

"I wish." Ruby grimaced. "I could barely move around in there. It took all of my speed just to get its eyes."

"At least we have a blind spot to work with now."

"Then let's go and use it. Distract the black half while I finish off the white half. Keep them as far away from each as possible so we don't get in each other's way like last time. Got it?"

"Understood."

Weiss darted to the black half of the serpent and started a series of slashes while simultaneously using her glyphs to constantly move around it. Her attack pattern was designed to disorient and aggravate the enemy. It would be a waste of Dust to try and seriously wound it, so she settled for keeping it out of Ruby's way.

On the other side of the arena, Ruby confronted the white half. Now that it was blind, and wounded, it was child's play for her to dodge its wild lunges and to finish it off. She lightly jumped on its back and hooked Crescent Rose around its neck from behind. Using her Semblance, she ran across its body, pulling its head back and severing it cleanly.

Unexpectedly, the remaining head of the King Taijitu grew faster, its movements growing sharper, nearly catching Weiss within its fangs and forcing her to back off.

"As you've noticed, killing one Taijitu head will result in the other becoming faster and more alert. Since Grimm do not bleed, this allows some of the smarter Taijitu to flee!"

 _Well that's certainly not happening,_ she thought, but she knew that they need to approach their enemy more cautiously. As of now, the King Taijitu was equivalent to a wounded, cornered animal, by far the most dangerous kind.

"Weiss, the stump!" Ruby shouted to her, while running in front of the Taijitu.

Weiss was momentarily baffled, before she saw the snake's open wound, from its decapitation, courtesy of Ruby. "Got it!"

While Ruby literally ran circles around the Grimm, using her superior speed and agility to keep up with its attacks, Weiss ran for the squirming stump behind the Grimm. Raising Myrtenaster, she coated it with a highly concentrated mixture of lightning and earth Dust.

If there was one thing that Weiss was sure she was better at than any of her peers, it was Dust usage. She can confidently say she knew every type of Dust ever discovered. She has learned hundreds of different ways to combine and utilize their potential and has developed dozens more on her own.

One thing she had discovered (although she was certain she wasn't the first to do so) was that lightning Dust was highly compatible with earth Dust. One would expect the opposite, but it seems the earth Dust augments the flow of electricity.

This was what she was relying on when she pierced the shadowy stump, Myrtenaster glowing with energy. Before she even thrust her rapier in entirely, the lightning leapt from her sword into the King Taijitu. Blue sparks enveloped the serpent, making it writhe in agony.

Ruby was the one to finally finish it off. Previously, the King Taijitu had been swift and unpredictable. Now, it was easy meat. She brought Crescent Rose around in one deadly arc, she severing its head, before cutting it in half with one final vertical slash.

The King Taijitu finally fell, its serpentine body crumbling away. Professor Port walked into the arena, clapping vigorously.

"Excellent, excellent, excellent!" he praised them generously. "It seems we are in the presence of two _true_ Huntresses today! That was a splendid battle, Ms. Rose and Ms. Schnee."

"Thank you, professor." the two girls replied at the same time, though Weiss' response included a small curtsy.

The professor turned to the rest of the class, who were watching with an assorted mixture of expressions ranging from pride, to shock, even awe.

"These two young women have demonstrated the one trait all Huntsmen must value, one that I have failed to mention." His tone of voice didn't change, but somehow she could detect a hint of seriousness in his voice.

"A great burden is placed on your shoulders, students. The safety of Remnant and its citizens is left to you. But know this; true Huntsmen are _never_ alone. You must trust your comrades, but at the same time be someone that they can trust as well!

I'm sure you some of you have questioned the chaotic nature of arranging teams at Beacon. I assure you it is no different in the other Academies. This is so you can learn the greatest lesson we can possibly teach you; the greatest asset of a Huntsman, is not his Aura, or his weapon, but the men and women standing by him!

I say again, a _true_ Huntsman is never alone! That is why we are still here! Why we have survived through centuries of constant adversity!"

More than a few students sat in awe of the aged professor after his impromptu speech. It seemed as if they were all rethinking their first impressions of Professor Port as an old braggart full of hot air. Weiss was no exception.

"Well, that is all the time we have for today. Your assignment, due for nest week, is a ten-page essay on the characteristics of either a Boarbatusk or a King Taijitu, including strengths weaknesses, attack patterns and so on."

Weiss silently followed her partner back to the locker rooms, pondering Professor Port's words. She wasn't a very trustful person. Growing up in the cutthroat world of energy production, surrounded by manipulative sycophants would do that to anyone. In her view, trust was something earned. It was a privilege, not a right.

So was it a privilege her partner and leader deserved? This was the person she would have to follow into battle, the one who already trusted her team to have her back. The real question was, was she herself willing to do the same for Ruby? Or for anyone in her team?

The answer, she mused, was _maybe_. That match against the King Taijitu had definitively proved to her that working together with Ruby provided great results, and she can assume the same for the others. She conceded to the fact that alone, she may very well have lost against the Grimm.

Weiss was willing to give her team the benefit of the doubt. First impressions were often misleading, after all. She would follow Ruby, and she would co-operate with her team. But she would be watching. For a mistake, for a slip-up, she would see it all. And she would be right there to correct it.

 _After all,_ she thought sardonically, _Isn't that what a good partner does?_

* * *

Several people were gathered in a small conference room. Standing around a large table were Cinder, Emerald, Mercury, and the leader of the White Fang himself, Adam Taurus, as well as his Lieutenant. On this table was a large map of the Vale continent, with various areas and routes highlighted.

"We have removed all traces of our presence in the Forever Fall forest. Most of our men have been moved to Mistral, the rest are scattered around several safehouses in Vale." reported the White Fang Lieutenant.

"We will need more of those men to dig out these tunnels. We need to make sure it will be a smooth and stable ride all the way." Cinder pointed out several locations.

"The White Fang are warriors, not your laborers, and our people have had enough of working in caves."

"Adam, do try to understand. You agreed to this partnership and have seen the merits to our plan. You know how essential these tunnels are to the our plans, so-"

"Not our plans, Fall, _yours._ " he cut her off. "You seem to have forgotten what I've told you, we are not an organization for hire. To us, you amount to little more than private contractors."

Cinder's eyes glowed slightly at the disrespect, but otherwise she showed no outward reaction. This wasn't the first time Adam had shown such impudence. He was a man who if a human told him to turn left, he would turn right, even if it was straight off of a cliff. Behind her, Emerald and Mercury shared a look, and simultaneously backed up a step.

"Trust me, Adam. This partnership benefits both of us," she inwardly scoffed at the word. Partnership implies equivalent exchange. No matter what delusion they held for themselves, the White Fang were nothing more than embittered bigots with access to weaponry. She could find such a group anywhere, but this was a choice based on nothing but convenience.

"That's the way you paint it, but there are a lot of details that you've left out, _Fall_." he growled. "Like why you risked _my_ Lieutenant to attack a base in the middle of nowhere!"

"You don't need to know. What you _should_ know is that-"

"I decide what is best for the White Fang, not you." This time, the glow in her eye was definitely noticeable, especially to the heightened perceptions of a Faunus. She was beginning to lose her patience with this imbecile.

"Go ahead, summon your fireworks," he taunted, one hand resting on the handle of his sword. "See how far that gets you."

Before things could heat up, quite literally in this case, their attention was diverted to a rather unwelcome interruption, in the form of the conference room doors flying open.

"Can't we all just get along?!" Roman Torchwick crowed dramatically, his arms in the air, in a ridiculously flamboyant display.

Emerald and Mercury simultaneously rolled their eyes. The Lieutenant grumbled under his breath, "Great, more humans."

"Brrr," Roman mock-shivered, "such a cold reception."

"Torchwick," Adam spat out the name. "What do you want?"

"Yes, Roman," Cinder joined in. "I was under the impression that you would not be available for this meeting."

"What can I say, I'm the paragon of efficiency. I _was_ planning to skip this little meet-and-greet, but I couldn't help but notice the tension in this room. And you know, the kids downstairs simply hate it when Mommy and Daddy fight."

"Why are you here, Roman?" Cinder was growing tired of his childish games. Another man she would be glad to be rid of, but not yet. She needed his contacts and resources, but in the end, he's just as replaceable as Adam.

"Right, business. I heard about your little excavation problem, and can now present a solution." He walked over to the window and yanked open the blinds. "Behold!"

The room's occupants peered out of the window into the rest of the rather large warehouse below. Men and women in White Fang uniforms could be seen milling around the warehouse, pushing crates, loading trucks, and other various task. It was a large-scale operation, conducted with as much efficiency as a band of terrorists could manage.

But that was all overlooked. For resting in the middle of the warehouse were five, massive metal structures. They were humanoid in shape, seemingly in a crouching position. The arms were large and bulky, undoubtedly filled with weaponry. Rocket launchers were mounted on their shoulders. Thee entire machine was covered in black and white armor plating.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the Atlesian Paladins-290!" He declared.

Adam was the first to speak. "Where did you get these?!"

"I made them." he chose to reiterate at his glare. "Well, not _personally_. But let's just say some associates of mine were rather forthcoming with their innovations. My own little brainiac made a few tweaks and now? We have five brand new, top o' the line warmachines. Not only that, but a couple hours with the tutorial, and one of these babies can dig those tunnels faster than you can say 'Thank you, Roman.' Well, may I say, you are very welcome." He finished with a bow and a flourish of his cane.

"How many of these can you provide?"

Roman answered once again. "How many can you handle?"

Adam turned to Cinder, who had a smirk on her face, as if she had expected this all along. In truth, she was one step from melding that mask to his face before Torchwick arrived. She had not expected the Paladins to be completed so swiftly, especially since the plans they had acquired were incomplete. The surprise was certainly not unwelcome, though. Their new friend was indeed proving most useful.

"I told you, Adam. Trust me."

* * *

"So what was so important that you had to talk to me alone, Roman?"

Roman raised an eyebrow as he lounged on the couch. "Well, I don't know if it's that important, but I do have some profiles you might want." He handed her a folder with several files inside. "Those papers tell you everything you need to know about one , Cinder Fall, an average-in-everything-except-looks third year student of Haven Academy."

"And what about the rest of my team?"

"Currently undergoing treatment at Haven Medical Institute following a disastrous mission, the details of which are, as I said, in the folder."

"I assume you have given Neo her identity as well?" Cinder asked while reviewing the files. For all his ludicrous posturing, Roman _was_ a decent forger. It was no easy task to compile such an elaborate identity in so little time. And she was sure that mysterious associate of his had a part to play in this.

"Of course. Though I do have to ask, why aren't you taking the the rugrats back to school with you? It might actually do them some good."

"I fear that someone at the school may recognize them, and jeopardize our operations entirely. Much safer for Neo and myself to go instead."

"Who? Oh, yes, the Arc boy, huh? Understandable. Speaking of which, this one's on the house." He presented her with another folder, nearly identical to the previous one, except slightly thinner.

"What is this?" she handled the new package curiously.

"A little bonus. Open it if you want, I don't really care. However, while it is always such a pleasure to see you Cinder, I have to go. Things to steal, people to scam, you know how it is. See ya!"

Roman exited with as much exuberance as when he came in, leaving Cinder alone in the conference room, carefully eyeing the package. Deciding that no harm could be done in reading it, she tentatively opened the folder and the first words she saw shocked her.

 _ **ARC, JAUNE**_

Cinder let her composure slip slightly before swiftly reining it back in. How had Roman known she had been investigating this boy? As a matter of fact, how did she know that Arc was the one she thought would recognize her subordinates? Perhaps she had been underestimating him too much.

Jaune Arc was a cause for worry, due to his 'observe from afar' status. Salem seemed to be interested in him, and she didn't know why. And there was nothing she hated more than unknowns.

Well, that wasn't completely accurate. She had one idea to go on; she felt Salem's power _within_ his sword. If Salem had gifted him with power, then why would it be constrained within a _sword_?

She turned back to the file, trying to discern Roman's intention. She was not naive enough to even consider the idea of it being a gesture of generosity. Then perhaps trying to curry her favor? Or was it simply his not-so-subtle way of saying 'I know what you're up to.'

She shook herself free of these thoughts. Conjecture without proof was useless to her. What she _did_ know, was that Roman was neither petty, nor stupid enough to falsify any of his findings. He would call it 'professional courtesy'.

Whatever the case, this package should prove most useful to her investigations. Before she settled herself to peruse the files, she resolved to keep a closer eye on Roman.

A _much_ closer eye.

 **Well, I give you the ninth chapter ladies and gentlemen.**

 **Peter Port is an amusing character for me. A man with an encyclopedic knowledge on Grimm, and a wealth of experience behind him, so much so that he can't help but incessantly talk about it. Kinda reminds me of Ducky from _NCIS._**

 **Anyway, this chapter is my exploration on Pyrrah and Weiss' reactions to their new team. Not just because they're two of my favorite characters, but because I can't help but feel like their reactions would be on the opposite ends of the spectrum.**

 **As well as that, some of you may have noticed that some things in the background are moving faster than canon. That was the plan. No spoilers, but I have planned for this story to diverge from canon. How much and how soon? Well, you're just gonna have to find out.**

 **Praise, insults, I welcome it all. (Though if you are going to insult my writing, at least have the decency to be specific)**


	10. Chapter 10: The Long Arm of the Outlaw

Lifeblood

 **100 follows guys! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Or what's left of it. Either way, thank you for the continued support, and I will do my best to keep it up! Starting with this!**

 **(Insert disclaimer here)**

 **Chapter 10: The Long Arm of the Outlaw**

One thing that Yang had come to greatly appreciate about life at Beacon was the food. It seems like such an ordinary requirement, but really, all Huntsmen were humans and Faunus as well. They needed to eat, and they need to eat a lot more than a normal person due to their very active lifestyle. Even Ruby, petite as she was, could easily eat more than two grown men put together,

Beacon has graciously accommodated the needs of hundreds of teenage Huntsmen by offering food during the entire day, except after lights out. As well as that, it wasn't just any old freeze-dried and deep-fried crap you find in fast-food joints. The cafeteria provided full course meals that can cater to any diet as chosen by the student.

So one could understand why she thought that anyone who interrupted her meal time for the idiotic purpose of hurling racist remarks at her friend, deserved a pounding. Especially if their names started with the letters C, D, R or L.

"Yang, don't do anything rash." Velvet cautioned.

"Don't worry, Velvs, I've given this a lot of thought." Yang growled and cracked her knuckles. Just as she was about to stand up to give those chortling morons a piece of her mind, she was yanked down by her partner. "Blake?!"

"Sit down. Velvet's right, nothing will change if you just go and beat them up."

"Well, why not?!" Nora whined. "I say we break their le- mmph!" Any further declarations of bodily harm were quickly supressed by Ren stuffing a baked potato in her mouth.

"I, for one agree with Velvet." Weiss gave her own opinion. "If anything, if you interfere, their harassment will only get worse. Besides, its just words. Even CRDL isn't stupid enough to assault a second year. I think." she added uncertainly.

Jaune snorted. "You got that right. Our girl Velvet can kick their asses blindfolded." he said while pulling the rabbit Faunus into one armed hug.

"That is if the rest of Team CFVY don't get to them first." Ruby chimed in.

"Oh, yeah." Jaune chuckled. Jaune, Yang and Ruby had met the illustrious Team CFVY once before and they had made quite the impression. "Speaking of which, where are those guys? They're not having lunch?"

"The life of a second year is tough, Jaune. Enjoy your first year while you can."

"Is it really that busy?" Pyrrah asked.

"You guys have no idea." Velvet sighed. "I'd love it if we were all together, but we agreed to take breaks whenever we can and our classes don't always sync up."

"Forget that, I want a reason why I shouldn't go over there and pound their faces in." It wasn't the first time Yang had asked that question. "Team CRDL had been complete dicks since day one and they're getting out of control."

"Yang, violence will just make their hatred worse." Velvet chided her. "Believe me, they'll grow out of it very soon."

"How do you know?" asked Pyrrha, with doubt obvious in her voice.

"Because if they don't, they'll be forced out of Beacon." Velvet's answer shocked them all.

"Can... can that really happen?" Ruby asked.

"I've seen it happen. Think about it. Around 20% of Remnant's population are Faunus, and 40% of all Huntsmen are Faunus." Velvet explained. "No matter how skilled someone is as a combatant, not a single one of the Academies would ever let them out on the field if they refuse to co-operate with Faunus. They could jeopardize the lives of their comrades, and even civilians."

Velvet said nothing for a few moments to let her statement sink in before speaking again. "Besides that," she looked over to Team CRDL, who were all laughing obnoxiously. "Those guys really don't have anything against Faunus."

"Are we talking about the same guys, Velvet, 'cause it sure looks like those knuckleheads have a bone to pick." Jaune glanced at the thuggish group as well.

"If they really did have something against me, or anyone like me, believe me it would so much worse. No, I think their racism is really just a result of ignorance and influence." Velvet gained a sad look on her face, one that spoke of years of experience. "There will come a time where they will be given a choice, and I choose to believe they will make the right one."

"Do you honestly believe that?" Yang looked at her partner, who had stayed silent up until now. She had an unreadable look on her face, which Yang would think nothing of normally, but her clenched fists gave her a cause for concern.

Velvet didn't stay anything for a while, merely looking hard at Blake. After a few moments she smiled. "Yes, I do believe it. Naive as it may sound, I choose to look for the best in people. I choose to put my faith in that instead of being caught in more hatred."

Yang was getting the distinct feeling that she was missing something between Velvet and Blake, judging by her partner's sudden increase in tension. Suddenly, Blake slapped down her fork and picked up her tray. "I'm heading to the library. Meet you guys in class." she said curtly.

"Blake, wait. What's the matte-" Yang's attempt to stand was interrupted by Velvet placing a hand on her shoulder to push her back in her seat. "Velvs?"

"I think Blake is going to need some time alone, for now." she said gently.

"You know something I don't?" The way Yang said it made it hard to tell if that was a question or not.

"Don't worry, Yang. I'm sure Blake will talk to you about whatever's bothering her when she's ready." Normally, Yang would've shrugged off the advice, but she couldn't ignore the knowing look in Velvet's eyes, and she felt the sincerity in her words.

"If you think so." Yang reluctantly sat back down.

"I know so." Velvet gave her that look again, that look that made her feel like she was a child learning the facts of the world again. Only Velvet could get away with giving her that look. "Trust me, every team has a few... kinks to work out. But if it's you guys, I'm sure it'll be no problem."

* * *

Vale Council Chairman Liseran staggered into his luxurious high-rise apartment with a sigh. _What a day._ For the past three weeks, every single meeting had related to the nearing Vytal Festival one way or another. It was a very prominent downside to what would be a prosperous opportunity for Vale. But the amount of backroom dealings and underhanded negotiations he'd had to control were ridiculous. It was like this every time the Vytal Festival came. Everybody was looking for the largest amount of profit. Whether it be food, transport, Dust, there was someone trying to get the best deals.

And let us not forget the migraines that accompanied negotiations with the Atlesian military. The Vytal Festival hosts important guests from all over Remnant, and as such, was a prime target for many terrorist groups. Therefore, large amounts of security would be required.

Unfortunately, many members of the Valean Council could no longer trust Ozpin, and so had decided to place their faith in General James Ironwood, who promised a strong and secure military presence.

On the other hand, there were those who thought that letting an outsider provide security for a festival occurring in Vale would result in other nations looking down on Vale's own forces.

Liseran walked into his home office and, not bothering to turn on the lights, collapsed into his soft leather chair in his spacious office. Even in his home, work continued to plague him. He reached forward to pour himself a generous glass of scotch, and he noticed that the a glass was missing, and the bottle was only half-full.

 _Strange, I replaced this only yesterday,_ he thought, just before a voice drew his attention to the corner of the room.

"Sorry about that, but I'm a sucker for a good twenty-year old scotch."

Liseran quickly turned on the lamp on his desk, illuminating the room, revealing a figure standing in the corner. It was someone he had never met before, but nevertheless knew well. Quite recently he had been the cause of much of the Council's meetings and subsequently his headaches. The nefarious criminal, the self-proclaimed greatest thief in Remnant, Roman Torchwick.

He made to stand, but Torchwick stopped him with a raise of his hand, which incidentally, held a glass of scotch. "No, no, please. Don't get up. I won't be troubling you for too long."

Liseran reviewed his available options, and decided that it would be in his best interests to co-operate. For now, at least. As infamous as he was, Roman Torchwick wasn't known for his violent tendencies. "So to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"We have a lot of things in common, councilor. We're both successful, respected and powerful. You know what makes me so successful in my business, councilor?" Torchwick began, settling down on a chair across from him. "It's because I know everyone and everything I have to know. For example, I know the name of a lovely, but severely ill woman in Vale Medical Institute."

Liseran's chest tightened. _There is no way..._

Torchwick continued, pretending not to notice the old man's distress. "I also know the name of her son, who in his desperation to save his mother, broke into a local pharmacy to find something to relieve his mother's pain. Unfortunately, he was caught, arrested and despite his well-meaning intentions, was charged with grand larceny."

Under the desk, Liseran discreetly opened a drawer, revealing a small pistol. He had purchased it years ago for protection, but was lucky to never have had the occasion to use it.

Until now.

"As well as that, I know the name of the boy's father, who up until his mother called him asking for help, did not even know of the boy's existence. But I know that he is a powerful, and honorable man, and arranged for the boy's sentence to be shortened, and for the mother to receive enough money have the best care for her condition."

Liseran snatched the gun out of its drawer and clumsily aimed at the amused man in front of him. His hands shook from inexperience, as he fumbled to click the safety off.

"You said it yourself." he ground out. "I am a powerful man. It would be all too easy for me to kill you now and pass it off as self-defense. Especially if the victim is a criminal."

Torchwick never once lost his smug smile. "Well, that's a shame. I had my heart set on handling this peacefully. I guess diplomacy isn't really my style." He reached into his suit.

Thinking that he was reaching for a weapon, Liseran panicked and pulled the trigger.

 _Click_

Liseran looked at his pistol in confusion, before it swiftly changed to horror. He pulled the trigger again, and again, the illogical action only increasing his panic. Torchwick smiled, and pulled out a small rectangular, metallic object from his suit. It took a while, but Liseran recognized it as the magazine.

"I know where you keep your gun." Torchwick smirked. "So, I'm sure _you_ know how this conversation is going to play out."

"What do you want?" Liseran asked through gritted teeth.

Torchwick didn't waste anymore time. "Two things, first: during the next Council meeting, you will argue that due to the recent rise in Grimm activity, as well as the actions of yours truly, that the Vale police department needs a little help."

Liseran immediately understood. "You want me to vote for bringing the Atlesians into Vale." That part made sense. The council was pretty much even at the moment, but his status and influence can swing the vote in whichever direction he chose. But what didn't make sense was why. Torchwick was a criminal. If anything he should want the Atlesians as far away from his territory as possible.

"What's the second part?"

"That part is easier, and you can complete it right now." Torchwick ruffled around inside his suit once again. "All you need to do..." Roman pulled out a small set of papers and shuffled them around before presenting them to Liseran. "is sign across the dotted line."

Liseran tentatively reached towards the papers, giving it a cursory read, seeing as Torchwick didn't protest. Several details were omitted, probably to fill in later. "Why... why would you ever need this?" he asked incredulously.

Torchwick clicked his tongue. "Tut, tut, councilor. You know better than to ask those kind of questions. Don't worry, worst comes to worst, I'll make sure it never gets traced back to you."

 _That is not my biggest concern!_ he inwardly raged as he reread the papers. He knew exactly what this document was. He had signed hundreds of them before. Not as much these days ever since the rise in popularity of Scroll communication, but still a fairly large amount. But in the hands of a criminal like Torchwick... he might as well give a blank prescription to a drug addict.

"What's the hold up, Councillor? Need to call someone to confirm? 'Cos I have the number of a certain warden in Vale Juvenile Detention Center if you need to talk."

Liseran clenched his fist so tightly, his knuckles popped and turned white. He poured himself a glass of his very expensive scotch and instantly drained it. Slamming down the glass and looking at Roman's smug smile, he slowly reached for his pen.

* * *

In the middle of Vale's commercial district was a small cafe. It was quaint and old-fashioned. It had an outdoor area, parasols offering shade from the sun. Despite its small size, it was quite popular with the businessmen in the nearby companies. It provided good food and drink, and a relaxing atmosphere as a great escape from their stressful bosses.

One of its employees was a young wolf Faunus, around fifteen years old. He didn't get paid much, barely minimum wage, but he never dared complain. It was an easy job, anyways. He just had to wipe down the tables and empty the garbage cans.

It wasn't the friendliest environment, he had to admit. Many of the customers of the store were bigoted, ignorant, middle management types who weren't shy about showing their disdain for his... well... species. But the other employees were civil enough, so it was bearable. It also provided him with another opportunity.

 _...orchwick struck again at th..._

 _...budget's stretched really thin right now..._

 _...had to hire more Faunus..._

 _...warehouses near the docks_

 _...nother shipment due..._

 _...the southeastern district..._

An hour later, the boy's shift was over. He changed out of his uniform, he checked out, and said goodbye to his co-workers. Not like they ever said anything back. He walked down the street to a old, rust-covered public Scroll-booth.

He stepped inside and carefully dialed a number on the grimy number pad. It was one that he had called many times before, but he was still extremely careful. The Scroll rang three times before picking up.

The boy never said anything, nor was anything said to him. Instead, he reached for the number pad and quickly pressed several seemingly random numbers in quick succession. Not waiting for a reply, he hung up and left the booth and went straight home.

* * *

 _ **CRASH!**_

"Hey!" A large burly man walked over to a red haired fox faunus kneeling next to a tilted forklift, an opened box filled with crystal vials lying on its side next to it. "Attention, you stupid mutt. Pay it! You're lucky that box didn't detonate or we'd be scraping you off the walls. And we'd have wasted a box of perfectly good fire Dust."

"Sorry, sir, one of the wheels got a flat. I'll be more careful next time, sir." The man hastily returned the vials into the box and replaced the lid.

"Well, for fuck's sake, get a new one from storage!"

"Right away, sir." he said before scurrying off, but not before hearing the supervisor mutter under his breath. "Good-for-nothing animals..."

Rudy gritted his teeth and continued his run to the storehouses. He was so tempted, so very tempted to turn around and punch every single tooth out of that man's skull, but he forced himself to continue. He reminded himself that the time would come for him. Him and every other human in this facility.

He sprinted for the storehouse, which was located right at the edge of the facility so Dust shipments could be moved in and out of the refinery easily. Looking around to make sure that no-one was paying attention, he approached one of the large warehouses. He found the keypad which allows entry. He retrieved a small device, no bigger than his thumb and placed it to the underside of the keypad, where it stuck fast.

His task done, he started his search for a new wheel for the disabled forklift. All he had to do now was wait.

* * *

"Is this gonna take much longer?" the driver asked irritated.

"You know the drill, it'll take as long as it has to." the other man responded in a bland tone as he swept the mirror underneath the truck. Satisfied that nothing was hidden in the undercarriage of the truck, he ordered the driver to open the doors.

The driver swung the doors open and stood aside to let the guard survey the contents of the eighteen-wheeler. Inside the massive truck were dozens upon dozens of large black, metal cases.

Raw, unrefined Dust was extremely powerful, but was also extremely volatile. During transport, the crystals are suspended in an inert liquid and stored inside blast-proof, four feet by three feet by three feet, containers in order to minimize the effects of a runaway explosion. As an added protection, each crate was marked with a unique serial number so every gram of Dust coming in and out of the refineries is accounted for.

The guard scanned the serial numbers with the company-issue Scroll and waited for the results. The screen flickered wildly for a few seconds, prompting the guard to hit it against one of the crates. It seemed to have worked, a the screen flashed to normal a few moments later.

After the laborious process of checking every box of Dust, the eighteen-wheel truck was finally allowed entry into the Schnee refinery grounds. The driver headed to a large warehouse, and wiith practiced ease, reversed the truck so the back was facing directly onto one of the many raised platforms.

As soon as the engine shut down, the truck was swarmed by workers, some riding forklifts, who began the arduous job of unloading the truck. However, in spite of the weight of the crates and their daunting numbers, the truck was completely emptied, and the payload was already on its way to storage.

The driver stuck his head out of the window. "So where's my next shipment?"

One worker with a Scrollpad answered him. "You'll have to wait a while, man. You know how slow it is to organize the Dust, and you came earlier than expected. Give us twenty minutes."

"Eh," the driver grunted, before stepping out of the truck. "Just hurry it up, will ya. I need to take a piss."

The forklifts whirred as they gently settled the last of the cases into the warehouse. After confirming that every crate was present and in its designated area, the workers filed out of the room, leaving the crates in darkness.

After a few minutes, the silence was broken by a small beep, and faint hissing. One of the crates clicked several times before popping open. The lid flew up, revealing the contents, which were undoubtedly not raw Dust crystals. A figure emerged from the within, a man wearing a black uniform, and a bone-white mask.

One by one, the newly-arrived crates hissed and opened, prompting dozens of White Fang members, each one equipped with a rifle and a blood-red sword.

One member held a small device, resembling a Scroll except slightly bulkier. He pressed it flat against the door, and listened to it chirp and beep for several seconds before hearing the locking mechanisms disengage.

He quietly slipped out, his brothers-and-sisters-in-arms quickly following him once had given the all-clear signal. They moved through the halls in silence, splitting seamlessly into three groups. They all had a mission. They all had a purpose. The risks were immense, but the potential rewards had the potential to be even more so.

* * *

"Hey, hey, hey!" Duke yelled out to another truck which had just backed in. "What the hell is this?"

"What do you mean? It's your order!" the driver snapped back.

"Will you motorheads get your signals straight? We just got an order, the next one isn't meant to come for another week! Go to another facility!"

"Look, buddy, the guy at the gate let me through, alright? I have the receipts, delivery address, everything." The driver handed him a Scroll, which he took and compared to his own.

"What the... This makes absolutely no sense..." However, the information was unmistakeable. He had the proof in his hands. According to these two Scrolls, this truck contained ten tons of raw Dust from the Schnee Vale mines, as per ordered.

 _Then what the hell is in our storehouse?!_

A loud shout drew his attention to the warehouse. Duke ran over to the other truck, which was completely empty by now, still waiting for its next load. "What the hell is going on?"

His answer came in the form of one trembling finger, pointing into the inside of the truck. He peered inside, trying to spot whatever their Faunus-enhanced eyes had seen. It took a while, but he saw it.

The inner wall of the truck had opened, seemingly just having fallen forward. Seemingly suspended in midair were two red dots, gradually growing larger as they approached. As it moved into the light, he finally saw the cause for their distress. He recognized it. How could he not? He had signed orders for Dust to use in their development and production, but as far as he knew it was still in the prototype stages.

The mechanical behemoth rolled out of the truck, its current form making it look like it was curled up on its knees, just barely fitting into the truck, its pristine white armor gleaming. It's sides were marked with a scarred, red wolf. One of its bulky, mechanical arms reached forward and folded in on itself. The end of its arm glowed, and crackled.

Duke died before he could even scream.

* * *

Roman prided himself on his professionalism. He knows how ridiculous some people find him, with the expensive suits, the cane, the Vacuan cigars. But he believed that being a criminal, especially if you're a criminal of his caliber, was no excuse for not being professional. He also knew that being a professional required sacrifices.

 _Though I do wish that sacrifice dressed better._ he grumbled internally as he calmly washed his hands in the bathroom, dressed in his grubby, truck driver disguise. He checked his watch, which he noted would never be affordable by the persona he had adopted, and saw that it was time.

As he exited the bathroom he noted the guards in his immediate surroundings, as well as the distance from here to the guard post. He started to walk back towards the direction of the trucks, giving greetings to a few guards and workers on the way. Halfway there, three small cylinders dropped out of his coat and rolled in different directions.

Roman raised his hands to his ears and lowered his head, just as the cylinders detonated in a flash of light and a large plume of smoke. Visibility dropped instantly, a fact that Roman took advantage of. Activating his Aura through his eyes, his sight was restored. He pulled out Melodic Cudgel, shrunken to fit into his coat and extended it.

Coming up behind the nearest guard, he swept his cane at his feet, sending him tumbling to the ground. Roman seized his rifle and shot him straight in the forehead. Still unnoticed, he ran to a second guard and jammed the barrel into his throat and fired, splattering blood over the walls.

More guards had swarmed the halls, surrounding him. He noted that these were equipped with special goggles designed to track heat signatures, making the smoke useless. Their rifles pointed straight at him, and they were yelling so obnoxiously he didn't bother registering the words they shouted.

Before they could fire, he pulled another guard to him with the hook of his cane, positioning his new captive between him and the firing squad. Embedding the end of his cane to the other man's chest, he fired, making him fly to his comrades. A split second later, the projectile detonated, killing the rest of them.

Loud gunfire drew his attention to the rest of the guards, who were vainly trying to stave off heavy fire from an unseen source. In a few seconds, the gunshots ceased, and the figures of the White Fang could be seen through the smoke. "Well, it's about time. I thought I might have to start the party without you guys."

One of the members- Percy, Perry, something like that- stepped up. "The others are already headed to their assigned locations. We should get a move on."

"Then by all means, follow me, boys and girls. Our tour will take us to the other side of the facility, so I hope you can keep up with little ol' me." With one final remark, Torchwick sped through the facility, the White Fang disposing of whoever was stupid enough to get in their way.

* * *

Three cars accompanied by a large armored van raced through the streets of Vale, bringing with them wailing sirens and flashing lights. Cars swerved desperately out of their way, the entourage not even slowing down as they navigated the busy roads.

Inside the van, were two dozen of Vale's police department. Every single one of them was wearing full body armor, and was armed with a high-powered rifle modified to shoot Dust rounds. They were members of Vale's Special Weapons and Tactics Unit, the best of the best trained to operate in the most dangerous situations.

"Alright, let's go over this one more time." The man at the front, Commander Cobalt, addressed them all. "Twenty minutes ago, we received word that the White Fang has attacked the Schnee Dust refinery in the southeastern end of Vale, just on the edge of the industrial district.

I don't think I need to remind you all of the risk that comes with a mission in an area loaded with Dust. So no shots fired unless you're a 120% sure it'll hit your target. Once we're on-site, complete radio silence and shoot on sight. Do _not_ give them the opportunity to fire back. I don't want to see a single empty seat once we're done. We clear?"

"YESSIR!"

A knock from the driver seat drew their attention. "30 seconds!"

"Got it! Last minute checks everyo-"

 **BOOOM!**

The world span wildly. The van rotated again and again, so quickly that Cobalt lost count of how many times his body flipped around. A stray thought in his head cursed the policy forbidding the wear of seatbelts in the event that mobility was required. Eventually, the van stopped on its side, and Cobalt attempted to regain his bearings.

They were just outside the refinery grounds. They were all groaning in pain, but no-one had any serious injuries. The one standing next to the door kicked it open, and they all filed out as swiftly as possible. Cobalt was the last to exit the van and instantly saw what blew away the first-rate armored van.

It was something that so far he had only seen in expositions, on blueprints in its incomplete stages. There wasn't even a prototype made yet, but here it was, every bit the destructive weapon it was meant to be, raining bullets and bolts of light-blue energy on the other three cars. The Atlesian-Paladin 290, Atlas' newest weapon against the Grimm.

He knew what he had to do. As much as he believed in the abilities of his men, they were hilariously outmatched, and he wasn't going to let pride be the reason for their needless deaths. "Everyone, fallback! Focus on containment. Lay traps around it to limit its movement." From what he remembered, one of the flaws of the Paladin was that it was slow on uneven ground, having to rely on walking. That was all they could do for now.

He reached for the radio on his shoulder. "This is Steel, requesting immediate back-up at the Schnee refinery in the southeastern quadrant of the industrial district. Under heavy fire from an Atlesian Paladin. Send any and all units on standby for assistance. Send the military, hell," he took another look at the image of the gleaming metal knight in front of them. "Send everybody."

* * *

Roman led his group through the sterile white halls. The White Fang members accompanying him had dwindled from eight to three, the others staying back to engage the security guards as well as complete their secondary objective. Soon, the four of them came to a large set of steel double doors.

Roman fished out his Scroll and pressed it against the ID scanner and the door unlocked. He gestured to his companions. "After you, gentlemen."

They kicked open the doors and stormed in. Roman chose to stay outside for a while, confident that they would remember his warning not to fire their weapons unless absolutely necessary. He heard plenty of screams, demands, sobbing, but thankfully no gunshots.

He casually strolled in just in time to see the White Fang members shoot three men wearing lab coats in the head, their bodies falling to the floor with a wet thump. He looked around the laboratory, confirming that this was in fact their target.

The sole survivor of the room, was a woman, in her mid-thirties kneeling on the floor, her long silver hair tied in a neat bun, her grey eyes bloodshot and laced with tears. She wore a lab coat as well, which was spattered with fresh blood.

Roman walked up to her. "You must be Doctor Grey. I'm a big fan of your work. I hope you don't mind, but we're on a tight schedule so I'll have to skip the formalities. I'm sure you know who I am anyway."

"Roman... Torchwick." Grey forced out through chattering teeth. Even in these hideous clothes, it was gratifying to know that people could still recognize him by his face alone.

"One and only," he extended his hand to her, and she involuntarily recoiled away. "Oh, please, Doc. I'm not going to hurt you. Why would I? It's not as if you're going to cause any trouble are you?"

Hesitantly, Grey took his hand, and Roman hauled her up from her position on the cold floor. "See? nothing to be afraid of. That's what I like to see, a little trust and co-operation. Now, I really hate to do this to you, but I may have lied slightly." At her look of panic, he corrected himself. "Don't worry, it's nothing _bad_. Just a small sting." Immediately after saying that, he tilted her head and jammed a syringe into her neck and pressed the plunger.

He targeted the sweet spot just behind the tendons in her neck, so when she instinctively flinched, she only drove the needle deeper. Her hand feebly reached upwards to grasp the syringe, but it was too late. Within seconds, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she slumped forward.

Roman caught her, and picking her up in his arms, he gently handed her to one of the White Fang. "Careful now, she's precious cargo. It wouldn't do to have gone through all this trouble only for the target to become dinged." He turned to the other two members. "You guys know what to do, and you know how to get to the rendezvous point."

Without another word, Roman and the other man, along with their new payload, sped through the hallways once more, this time Roman disposing of any guards they come across.

* * *

Cobalt once again cursed his situation. They had lain several explosives around the Paladin, and had succeeded in hampering its movement, but it had come at a price. Five of his men were down, at least two had life-threatening injuries. Their bullets barely grazed the Paladin, and they were running out of ammunition.

The same could not be said for their adversary. If it was any other day, Cobalt would marvel at the brilliant piece of technology. But now, it was nothing but a serious threat to their lives. They couldn't approach the facility, ground forces were practically shackled. He even had to call off air support after seeing the range of its energy cannons.

It was moving with the kind of reaction time that was way beyond any kind of machine, so of course someone must be operating it inside. That made their job so much harder, as it was undoubtedly easier to fool a machine, as a machine would always pick what it perceived to be the best move.

A shout drew his attention to the side, where the Paladin was slowly approaching two of his men, one of whom looked to be bleeding profusely, the other one desperately clutching the wound to stem the bleeding and dragging him away as fast as possible. _They're not gonna make it!_ he realized.

Loading his rifle with his only magazine of high-grade Dust rounds, he fired furiously to the outstretched arms, peppering it with small explosions. The substantial armor of the Paladin prevented any damage beyond a few scratches. However, the Paladin turned to him and aimed one of its energy cannons at him and fired with no hesitation.

The bolt of light seemed to travel in slow motion. Cobalt stayed where he was, knowing that even if he did try to move, the bolt would pierce him before he even began to tense his muscles. He knew it would be painless so merely braced for impact...

Just as the energy harmlessly splashed against a translucent, octagonal, sapphire-blue wall. In front of him stood a young woman in her twenties, her dirty-blonde hair whipping around her, brandishing a pair of morningstars, one of which was raised against the blue shield. With a thrust of her hand, the barrier sped forward into the Paladin, pushing it back several meters before dissipating.

His savior turned to him. "Get your men in those buildings. I've already called a bus to our location, so get to cover and hang tight. I'll handle this."

Cobalt was lost for words for a few moments, but his discipline quickly recognized the situation. "There are still members of the White Fang in the building."

"My partner's taking care of them. Look, sir, all due respect, but you're out of depth here. Half of your men are gravely injured, and you still haven't damaged that thing. The military is still ten minutes out, and they'll come with more firepower, so just wait."

Cobalt grit his teeth, before calling a retreat to all of his forces. It stung to truly realize how outmatched they were compared to a trained Huntress, who manged to inflict more damage to the enemy within thirty seconds than they had for the past twenty minutes. Nevertheless, the lives of his men came first. He led his men to a building which had long since evacuate when the shooting had started, leaving the Huntress against the Paladin.

* * *

Iris charged straight for the Paladin, her morningstars, Quake and Phalanx. The mechanical knight fired numerous energy bolts towards her, but none of them even slowed her down. Not because of she dodged them, but because of a shining barrier erected in front of her. The shots crashed harmlessly against the shield, dispersing and charring the ground in front of Iris instead.

When she got close enough, the Paladin switched its arms to its close-quarters-combat mode, the gun barrels retracting, replaced by a steel fist. The arm came flying at her at speeds a normal person couldn't hope to react to, but Iris saw it coming a mile away and had shifted her barrier upwards to parry the strike. She jumped up and slammed her morningstars into the arm, forcing it to the ground, but unfortunately still attached and intact.

Springing up from her position on its arm, she swung Quake towards the torso of the mech, intent on knocking the pilot of this monstrosity around a bit. However, the operator once again showed their dexterity, as the Paladin swiftly jumped back, reducing the impact to a mere glancing blow. While she was still in mid-air, the Paladin charged a blast of energy towards her, and launched it in the same second.

But Iris had fast reflexes as well. She quickly conjured a barrier underneath her, just two feet in width, and willed it to lift herself up. Getting back on her feet, the barrier flew around the Paladin, giving the image of Iris surfing through the air. Gliding behind it, she pressed a button on Phalanx, making it glow with the yellow light of earth Dust.

She guided her barrier to the Paladin's legs, intent on grounding the robot, but it quickly twisted at its waist to face her, and blocked her strike with its arm. Fortunately, the force behind the impact shattered the arm, the pieces flying in every direction, knocking back the Paladin.

Realizing the disadvantage it was in, it seemed that the Paladin's operator had decided to adjust strategy. The machine quickly retreated further into the compound, the wheels on its feet whirring furiously.

"The hell do you think you're going?" Iris bellowed, as she forced the barrier she was resting on to rise and give chase to the Paladin. Some would say that it was a waste of Aura, but this method of movement gave her an aerial view of the entire compound. As well as that, Iris possessed abnormally large Aura reserves, only being rivaled by Jaune and her father. So something like this could hardly be felt.

In the far edges of the compound, flame was spreading and the refinery employees were scurrying about. She could see that the Vale police, as well as the military had arrived and had besieged the refinery and had began their assault on the eastern side. It seems that they were being held back by forces hidden in the buildings, but were slowly advancing. But the Paladin wasn't heading there.

The armored mech was heading to the landing pads used for when the company big-shots decide to flaunt their authority by giving a surprise visit to the job-site. Iris surveyed the pattern of movement and concluded that the landing pads were the White Fang's escape route. _They must have prepared high-grade Dust that's easy to airlift._

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a presence make itself known right next to her. "Damn it, Sequoia! Would it kill ya to make a noise once in a while?" she griped to her older twin, who was hovering in mid-air beside her. Simple as it may be, she never got tired of seeing her sister's Semblance in action, which granted her control over the air.

"Not really my style. I have engaged the terrorists in battle but they used several smokescreens and explosions to escape. I flew up here to track them and while it's hard to see as they are moving between the buildings, it seems their target is..."

"The landing pads. The Paladin's heading there too. I'll bet that that is their escape route."

"I concur. While some of their members fought, others must have gathered high-grade Dust that is easy to airlift." she deduced. "I suggest that you tell the military to watch out for any incoming aircrafts, and then deal with the Paladin."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to buy you some time." she said, before gathering wind around her, and rocketing off to the direction of the landing pads.

Upon landing on top of a warehouse roof, Sequoia immediately saw the problem which made her send Iris elsewhere. The White Fang had taken hostages. Twenty, of thirty workers were huddled together, being ushered by the terrorists as they ran as fast as they could. Sequoia was suddenly very glad for her decision. Competent as Iris was, hostage rescue was not her sister's strong suit. Thankfully, she herself had a way to ensure their survival.

Activating her Semblance, she focused on the air surrounding the group and forced it to disperse. This is one of the basic functions of her Semblance, to control the air pressure in a certain area. But of course, any vacuum made will seek to be filled, so she must maintain a sort of moving bubble around her target area, so air can get out, but not get in.

The effects weren't visible at first, but in a minute they became very noticeable. It started with a few of them breathing more heavily, their breaths becoming ragged and thready. Soon, they began to collapse, terrorist and hostage alike, falling to the ground as they slowly ran out of air.

They had stopped running altogether now, and more than half of them had fainted, and the others were hyperventilating. Sequoia kept up her hold on the air pressure, right up until her hardened instincts screamed at her to move. She jumped down off the roof, just in time to avoid a large explosion.

Her concentration over the air bubble broke, and the targeted group began to regain consciousness. They wheezed and coughed harshly, as they sucked in large amounts of oxygen. Undoubtedly, they would be out of commission for a while, so she looked for the source of the projectile. Her sharp eyes spotted a figure standing away from the group, wearing old, dusty clothes, but Sequoia knew who he was.

No disguise could mask the wielder of that red, black and white cane. "Roman Torchwick." she said coldly. "I should have known that you were the only thief stupid enough to think you could actually succeed in this heist.

Torchwick smiled at her, twirling his cane, one green eye shining with amusement. "Oh? It seems my reputation precedes me. But I'm afraid it's not stupidity, missy. It's what a gambling man like me would call a calculated risk. And right now, I'm on a hot streak."

"If you're a gambling man, Torchwick then you should know," she held her warfans, Void and Tempest, in front of her menacingly in a closed position. "The house always wins."

Sequoia sprinted forwards, while Torchwick merely stood there in a beckoning gesture. Before she reached him, Sequoia snapped Void to its fully open form, a circular disk and threw it at the criminal. The disc whizzed through the air, rotating at lethal speeds promising grievous injury.

Torchwick leaped out of the way, but the disk curved around like a boomerang, forcing him to bat it away with his cane. While his back was turned, Sequoia lashed out with Tempest in her right hand while catching Void in her left. In that instant, a high-speed battle between two highly skilled combatants erupted.

Unlike what most people think, most of the attacks using a warfan was used when it was closed, when the ten ribs of the fan were brought together and its striking force was at its maximum. It was a style that required considerable skill in dodging, parrying and counterattacking. A skilled practitioner could kill a man with a single blow, without the enemy even touching them.

Torchwick's cane darted towards her stomach, but she easily sidestepped, gripping his outstretched arm with her right hand and lashing out with her left. She struck him on the cheek, the force behind it making him bruise. She was about to follow up with a jab to his stomach, but Roman flipped his cane around so the curved end faced her. He then slammed it on the ground, a small explosion launching the cane towards her chest, knocking her back.

She jumped back, but Torchwick did not allow her any breathing room. Torchwick displayed his considerable skill as he furiously swung and jabbed at her, forcing her to parry and weave around his attacks. In a show of flexibility, she bent her body backwards to avoid a swing aimed at her neck. Seeing an opening, she snapped open Void and Tempest, and used her Semblance to form and launch two bullets of highly compressed air towards Torchwick, at the same time, using the wind to push her ten meters backwards.

"Where are you aiming, missy?" he taunted, positioning his body so the bullets would pass right by him. Sequoia smirked, and he realized his mistake a half a second too late. Just when the bullets were either side of him, they rapidly decompressed. The resulting shockwave blew him back off of his feet.

Wasting no time, Sequoia literally flew forwards, intending to knock him unconscious before he regained his bearings. Unfortunately, Torchwick recovered quickly, flipping backwards to land on his feet. He charged towards her while she was still airborne, intending to face her attack head on. Sequoia was undeterred. More than that, she accelerated, and commanded the air around her to swirl at hurricane speeds, ensuring that Torchwick's attack would be deflected well away from her.

The fight had devolved into a crude game of 'chicken' with both sides apparently having no intention to stop. The distance between them was less than five meters, close enough that Sequoia could see the twinkle in Roman's eye, as if he was amused at the idea of being ripped apart by a cyclone.

A moment before she collided with him, she discovered why.

Torchwick threw himself to the side, but not before releasing the top part of his cane. The hook caught her in the arm, and the wire of extremely high tensile strength whipped around her, using her own winds to wrap all around her at blistering speeds. but the thief wasn't done there. He yanked her back harshly, forcing the wire to tighten around her neck. Her Aura might prevent the wire from digging to deeply into her skin, but the force still felt like it could tear her head clean off.

The cane whirred as it dragged her across the ground towards him. "Well, I had a great time, missy. I'd say we should do this again, but it looks like there won't be a next time." He slammed the barrel of the cane down towards her, but she rolled to her side, and released her warfans in their fully opened disc form to block the strike and the subsequent explosion.

Focusing her semblance as much as she could, she moved her fans through the air brought them together to slice straight through the steel wire. Before Torchwick could register the damage to his weapon, Sequoia let loose an eruption of air aimed upwards, sending Torchwick flying out of her line of sight.

She squirmed around, desperately trying to free herself from the wires still tangled around her. She kept her hold on Void and Tempest as they orbited around her, in case Torchwick was about to strike. Eventually she freed herself, but it was too late. Torchwick had already fled.

"Fuck!" she swore, which spoke volumes for her level of frustration at the moment. She had underestimated him, dismissing him as a petty crook, and had nearly paid the price for it. He was gone, and she was so caught up with him that the White Fang had escaped with the hostages. She forgot that this was the man that had encountered and evaded capture from entire governments. She would not take him lightly again.

She took the skies once again, searching for the thief. To the side, she saw Iris beating down the Paladin. She wouldn't need any help there, so she could focus on Torchwick. The sound of rapid gunfire drew her attention to a mass of people wearing black clothing, surrounding dozens more in normal clothes. People in police and military uniforms pursued them vigorously, some even firing their weapons, but the White Fang used the Dust crates as shields, and so they had nearly reached the landing pads.

She glided down, and saw her target running behind the group. She landed just in front of the army officers, their guns raised and their fingers on the triggers. Her tension and sense of concentration was at its maximum, ready to summon a storm the moment Torchwick tried anything.

Torchwick had stopped with the rest of the White Fang at the landing pads. They were in a circle formation around the hostages, their guns trained on them. Behind them were a considerable number of crates, probably carried by the hostages while under threat. They were trapped now. They were facing dozens of police and military officers. Even if an aircraft managed to get near the refinery, there was no time for them to board before they shot it down.

"Stand down! You have nowhere to run, Torchwick!"

"I won't be the one running." Torchwick smirked at them infuriatingly.

A loud rumble could be heard approaching them. In a burst of rubble and smoke, the Paladin crashed into the scene, with Iris right on its tail. It was considerably more damaged than the last time she saw it, its armor marred with dents and scratches, and several wires and internal mechanisms showing.

The damage had not affected its speed though, as proven when it charged for the crowd of law enforcement. Sequoia called a retreat, but strangely, the Paladin had not been targeting them as first thought. Instead it plowed into the row of vehicles, coming to a stop in a thunder of ripping and crashing metal.

They had no time to relax though. As the smoke was clearing, Sequoia heard a sound of beeping emanating from the collision site. She turned to the Paladin with dread creeping into her veins, and saw its form beginning to glow.

"IT'S ABOUT TO EXPLODE!" Sequoia screamed in a tone she was not accustomed to. But it was perfectly justified. She knew what that machine was, due to her older sister's position in the Atlesian military. As such she knew that the Atlesian Paladin-290 was powered by a fuel cell using highly pressurized fire Dust. If a source of such extreme energy density was allowed to lose control...

"IRIS!"

"I know!" Iris landed in the middle of the panicked soldiers. "Everyone, get as close to me as you can!" Iris placed Quake and Phalanx back into their harnesses. She quickly looked over the soldiers around her, before clapping her hands together, with a look of complete concentration on her face.

An explosion seemed to rock the world, the blast wave heading straight for them, but a millisecond before it reached them, Iris raised her hands. With that one motion, a dome comprised of countless octagonal barriers bonded together around the soldiers. The blast slammed into the wall, but it held and the impact shattered the ground underneath them.

The second threat to them was the heat. Temperatures outside rose by hundreds, even thousands of degrees. The flames scorched and melted the ground. The fire enveloped them on all sides, crashing uselessly against the dome, desperately trying to engulf them and burn them until they were nothing but ash. And yet, within the barrier, the temperature did not rise by a single degree.

An impenetrable shield formed by knitting millions of tiny barriers together. If any were broken, then they were swiftly replaced, like soldiers of a phalanx rushing to avenge their fallen comrade. Nothing outside the dome can affect those within, and vice versa. The dome might as well be part of another world. This was the absolute defense of Iris Arc.

Eventually, after a few minutes, the flames died down, but Iris did not let up the barrier. The air outside was still at superhot temperatures after all. To release the dome now would cook them alive. Sequoia raised a hand, and a gale swirled around the dome, dispersing the hot air, cooling the molten earth, and clearing the smoke around them.

Once Iris had deemed it to be enough a further fifteen minutes later, she released the barrier, and a wave of heat assaulted them, not harmful, but still much higher than normal. All of them looked to the landing pads, or rather, what was left of them.

A large hole had been carved straight into the ground, the edges crumbling and falling into the abyss. They peered over the edge, taking care not to dislodge any rocks lest they fall in. Below them, lay a large circular tunnel, at the bottom of which was a current of water. Realization dawned on Sequoia.

 _They fled into the sewer system._ she thought incredulously. Her mind worked a mile a minute, while beside her, Iris reached the same conclusion.

"Damn it! They must have had people set up charges underneath the landing pads, set to detonate before the Paladin. We have to get people down there, and to set up a perimeter-"

"It's no use. These tunnels run using an intricate system that only Vale's engineers fully understand. Judging by the time we spent trying to survive that explosion, Torchwick and the White Fang could be on their way to anywhere by now."

"Sis, what the hell are you saying?!" Iris raged. "They have _hostages._ Dozens of them!"

"Did they?"

"W-What?"

"I haven't thought about it until now, but I noticed something about the every single one of those hostages. They were all _Faunus._ "

"So what? Schnee refineries hire hundreds of Faunus!"

"Of course. If it were one or two hostages, I would think nothing of it. But the White Fang are a Faunus organization. Why would they needlessly threaten those who they believe to be their brethren? Why not take the human employees? Surely they would be easier to control."

"You mean to say..."

"They were not hostages. They were recruits."

* * *

"I told you it would work." A handsome young man with black hair, wearing a nondescript clothing spoke into a Scroll. He was currently at a coffee shop, sipping his latte when he got the call.

"I had the timing all worked out, man. You had nothing to worry about."

 **"Easy for you to say, Jet. I thought some of these animals were gonna piss themselves when the ground started falling."**

"How did Neo like the Paladin?"

 **"Liked it a bit too much if you ask me. She's already asking for a dozen of them to replace the one she lost. Was it really necessary to blow it up?"**

"Don't worry, it's easy enough to make more of them."

 **"Well, get to it, on the double."**

"Why are you so grumpy? You got a lot of good Dust, you acquired the target, the White Fang gets new recruits, and Neo got a fun toy to play with. I'd call this robbery one hell of a success!"

 **"Yeah, aside from the fact that I've had to listen to these mutts' stupid yapping for the past two hours while trudging through a sewer, I look and smell like a hobo, and Melodic Cudgel is split in half, I'm just about crapping sunshine here."**

"Alright, I get the point." the young man looked up and saw the person he was meeting walking up the street. "Look, Roman, I gotta go. I'll keep ya posted." He hung up without waiting for a response.

The woman walked into the cafe, prompting him to rise from his seat. She greeted him with a peck on the lips before slumping into her own seat.

"Rough day at work?"

"You don't know the half of it, Jet. There was an incident at work which promises a lot of paperwork for the forseeable future. This is probably the only break I'll get for a while. Sorry about that." the young woman finished with a sad smile.

"Don't worry about it. I understand." he gave her a reassuring smile, which she returned wholeheartedly, her red eyes shining with gratitude.

"Thanks. It's just..." she groaned. "Do you have any idea what it's like to have your boss, and your boss' boss, hounding you every minute of every working day, demanding results, results, results?!" She let her head fall onto the table, her white hair splaying out around her.

Jet chuckled under his breath. "Trust me, Bianca. I'm sure I have an idea."

* * *

 **Sorry if I was a little bit late with this one, but it's exam season, so, free time is at an all time low right now. On that very same note, I regret to say that the next chapter will have a small delay to it too, but I'm hoping to have it up by the end of May. Apologies in advance if I don't follow up on that.**

 **Not a lot of RWBY-ness in this chapter, more focusing on Mr. Torchwick. Now regarding Roman, I know that in an earlier Author's Note that he wasn't very important in canon. But here I suddenly have him as some criminal mastermind, right?! Well, this is _my_ fanfic, not canon, and I wanted a criminal mastermind, and I had the perfect character for it.**

 **One might argue that Cinder could fit the mold better, and indeed her plans are downright diabolical. But in terms of experience, contacts and resources in the criminal underworld? I would think Roman would have her beat.**

 **To quote Evelyn Beatrice Hall, "** **I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."** **With that in mind, please review!**


	11. Chapter 11: Into the Darkness

Lifeblood

 **I apologize for keeping you waiting for so long, and I am grateful to those who have stuck by this story.**

 **I don't own RWBY, obviously.**

 **Chapter 11: Into the Darkness**

"I can't believe this!" Weiss raged, slapping her hands on the table, as she read a news article on her Scroll. She was immediately shushed by Blake, who was predictably nose deep in another book. Her other teammates looked up from their homework to see what was causing Weiss' anger now, more than willing to take a break.

"Alright, princess, what's got your panties in a bunch?" Yang walked around the table to look over Weiss' shoulder. "Roman Torchwick? Who did he rob this time?"

"Me, or to be more specific, my family! Torchwick raided a refinery right here in Vale!"

"So? Torchwick has been robbing the SDC for months, hasn't he?"

"If it was just him and his usual band of thugs, it would be no issue. I've had to deal with things like that before." Despite her choice to become a Huntress, Weiss had spent several years being groomed to take over her father's company. While the amount of power she held in the company was fairly minor, she still had considerable experience. "The bigger problem is who he did it with!" She clicked on the article, showing them the details.

"The White Fang?" Ruby asked.

"That's impossible." Blake joined the discussion. "The White Fang is an organization that only allows its members to be Faunus. They would never work with a human, much less someone like Torchwick."

"The reports are right here, Blake!" Weiss insisted, and started reading a section of the article. " _Just a few hours ago, Roman Torchwick stormed the grounds of a Schnee Dust Company refinery, along with over two dozen men and women. The police have identified the co-conspirators as members of the White Fang, a Faunus terrorist organisati-_ Blake, why are you looking at me like that?"

Blake said nothing, instead choosing to go back to her homework in stony silence.

"I guess she doesn't like the White Fang?" Yang whispered awkwardly.

"Well she can join the club." Weiss turned back to the screen. "Bad enough that we had to deal with Torchwick and the White Fang separately, but now that they seem to be working together? This will be a nightmare."

"Wait! Back up a bit! Right there!" Ruby grabbed the Scroll and zoomed in on an image that came with the article. "What's that?"

"Huh? Oh, apparently a couple of Huntresses appeared to try and apprehend them, but they managed to get away."

"No, no, not that! Yang, look at them, don't you recognize them?" Ruby pulled her sister in front of the screen, nearly pushing Weiss off of her seat.

Yang scanned the screen and spotted a familiar red jacket, as well a pair of morningstars. "Wait a sec, is that..."

"Will you two back off?" Weiss nearly yelled in frustration, pushing them away. "You know these Huntresses?"

"Wel-"

Ruby's explanation was cut off by an energetic knock on their door. She swiped the door open, and a blue streak engulfed her in a near-suffocating hug. "Ohh, little red, it's been way too long!" the blur nearly squealed out, shaking Ruby (who was coincidentally turning blue as well) side-to-side, rubbing her cheek against Ruby's.

"Iris, let Ruby, breathe, will you?" Sequoia followed her inside, with Jaune trailing behind her with the rest of Team JNPR, who all had looks of bemusement on their faces.

"Hey, guys!" Jaune said excitedly. "Guess what?! My sisters are visiting!"

"Yeah, I got that." Yang deadpanned. "Iri, do you mind letting Ruby go? Blue doesn't really suit her."

"Huh? Oh, sorry Rubes!" Iris carefully set the brunette down, and letting her inhale copious amounts of much needed oxygen. Iris quickly set her sights on Ruby's sister, who began to pale. "Come here, Yang." she beckoned.

To be fair, Yang never really stood a chance, and soon found herself in a similar state to Ruby. Further antics were interrupted by the soft sound a throat being cleared. They all turned to Weiss and Blake, who were simply staring at them expectedly.

Jaune was the first to react. "Right! Introductions! Weiss, Blake, meet my older sisters, Sequoia and Iris Arc," he gestured to them in turn. "Sequoia and Iris, Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladonna."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both. Jaune has spoken nothing but praise about his sisters." Weiss greeted while giving a little bow.

Blake's own greeting was not as formal. "Pleasure."

Sequoia smiled. "You two as well. Thank you for taking care of our troublemakers." she said, prompting indignant shouts from the so-called troublemakers.

"So..." Pyrrah prompted. "What's this about a robbery?"

"Mm! Yeah, funny story that." Iris plopped down on a chair, pulling Ruby on her lap and ignoring her protests. "Ozpin needed two Huntsmen for a mission he had lined up and we volunteered! Thought it would be a good opportunity to visit."

"Wait a sec. The headmaster of a _Huntsmen_ Academy needed Huntsmen and decided to bring in outside help?" asked Ruby, giving up on her attempts to get out of Iris' hold.

"Apparently, it was meant to be a teacher's job, but they're all kinda busy at the moment, so he decided to outsource the job. Anyway, the two of us were in already on our way through town and we saw a load of army trucks whizzing their way through. Next thing I know, I'm getting shot at by terrorists and Sequoia is getting her ass kicked."

"Excuse me," Sequoia interrupted her twin with a scathing glare. "I was not 'getting my ass kicked', I would have been perfectly capable of subduing that criminal."

"Whatever helps ya sleep at night. Anyway, we've been up _all_ night with the police and the arm and Ozpin answering stupid questions and filling out forms for hours."

"You have to do paperwork?!" Nora recoiled in horror.

"Unfortunately, yes." Sequoia confirmed. "Huntsmen must submit a report after every mission. If it's the case that a Huntsman or Huntress takes action within the city limits, more forms must be filled out for review so the council can decide whether it was justified or not."

"So even after graduation, we can't escape homework..." Ruby sighed in depression.

"Can we get back on topic, please?" Blake snapped. "What were the White Fang after?"

Sequoia narrowed her eyes slightly, but answered her anyway. "Officially, we're not authorized to give information to uninvolved parties."

"I'm more interested in the unofficial side of things."

Iris stared at her. "Fine, I'm sure Ms. Schnee would tell you the whole story if we don't. Well then, _unofficially_ , after a full inventory check, it seems the White Fang took over three hundred units of ultra-pure Dust crystals. High-grade stuff reserved for the kingdom's power supply. Can't be too sure since they blew up half the building."

Iris felt Ruby tremble on top of her. "Were... Were there people... in the...?"

Iris sighed, her twin mirroring the action, and hugged Ruby tighter. "Not going to lie, Rubes. Last count, thirty-seven employees dead, three police officers and seventeen army soldiers."

"Last count?"

"There's still people missing, and due to the explosion, some remains could not be identified." Sequoia reported the horrifying news, reverting to her normal cold tone.

Weiss broke the grave silence. "It seems there's no limit to the atrocities those animals are willing to commit." she spat out, her usual composure shattered.

"Weiss..." Jaune said in a warning tone.

"I don't to hear it Jaune. This just proves my point. You know that there were Faunus working in that facility? And it seems the White Fang had no trouble murdering them anyway. At this point, whether their Faunus or not is irrelevant, the White Fang are no better than animals, plain and simp-"

Blake abruptly rose from her place on the bed and nearly ran out of the door, and Yang could swear she saw tears in her eyes.

"What the hell..." Yang surged up to follow her, but Sequoia beat her to the punch. "Sequoia!"

"I'll talk to her."

"She's my _partner_!" she protested. Velvet had told her to give Blake time, but this has gone too far. She couldn't just sit here while Blake was dealing with... she didn't even know _what_!

"Trust me on this one, Yang. If you confront her she'll just clam up. You'll get nothing out of her."

"I'm not going to _confront_ her!"

"Exactly. Which is why I will do it." Sequoia allowed no further argument and stalked out of the room, leaving Yang in a rage.

* * *

Blake burst through the roof door, slamming it behind her and collapsing against it. Bowing her head she fought desperately to keep the tears in. Blake had to get out of there. Every word that Weiss spoke was like a nail through her heart. She was so close to lashing out at Weiss, but that would create more problems that she was ready to deal with.

What made it worse was that Weiss was right, despite her bigoted views. It was the very reason she left the White Fang, because she saw that she was becoming the monster they viewed humans to be. She left Adam because he was no longer someone she could follow on his path of blood.

Without thinking, she reached for her ears, wrapped tightly by her black bow. It hurt her deeply, seeing how far her former friends had fallen. To associate with someone like _Torchwick_! She had heard nothing but vile things about that conman. He was loyal to no-one but himself, helped no-one but the highest bidder. He would betray the White Fang the moment he received a better offer.

"How long were you planning on keeping it from them?"

Blake whirled around to see Jaune's sister, Sequoia perched on the railings on the side of the roof. She quickly rubbed her eyes before glaring at her. "I'm sorry, I don't know what-"

"Save it." Sequoia leapt off the ledge with an air of elegance. "I already what you are, and of course, what you used to be."

"How did you-"

"For a terrorist, you are suprisingly inept at masking your emotions."

Blake instinctively reached for Gambol Shroud, before remembering that it was currently in her locker.

"Relax, I just want to talk to you."

"Why?"

"Because you're a terrorist and you're close to my friends, so I want to know why I shouldn't have you thrown in a cell in the next instant."

She said it so coldly, in such a matter-of-fact way, that Blake couldn't help but believe that this woman would be perfectly capable of doing such a thing. She probably wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight either.

" _Former_ terrorist." she gritted out.

"I like how you're not denying it. Truth be told, I didn't really think Ozpin would let an active member of the White Fang within a mile of this academy, I just wanted to make sure."

Blake was annoyed by this woman. "So what _do_ you want?"

"To start with, how about an answer to my question?"

"I'll tell them when I'm ready. And when that will be is none of your business."

"Not when my brother is your partner's best friend." Sequoia retorted, before shaking her head in a manner that seemed almost condescending. "You know, Jaune already know that you're a Faunus, and Yang is pretty close."

"What?!" she nearly shouted. Jaune had never given any indication that he knew about her heritage. But as she calmed down, she realized that Jaune, and even Yang, were friends with Faunus, if their long-standing relationship with Velvet was any indication.

"Yes. Probably not the bit about being a terrorist, but I suppose that will come out sooner rather than later. Yang is reckless, but she's not stupid. I wouldn't be surprised if your little outburst was the clue that tipped her off. Fortunately for you, Ruby and Ms. Schnee remain oblivious, but I doubt that that will last long."

"Then what is the point of this conversation? As you've pointed out, they'll all figure it out sooner. I don't need to tell them anything."

"It's a matter of trust Ms. Belladonna, and trust is a two-way street. Perhaps you have no intention to harm anyone, but why should I, no," she paused. "why should _they_ trust you with their lives, if you can't even reveal your very identity?"

"That's..."

"Don't bother justifying your actions. Or rather your inaction. Word to the wise, keeping your past a secret won't end well, for anyone. Especially for you, if you ever hope to move on from your past."

"Why do you care about my past?"

"I don't." Sequoia bluntly answers. "I really don't care much about you. I care about Jaune, who cares about Yang, who is beginning to grow close to you. A convoluted reason, but nevertheless it means that it's _my_ problem.

I'm getting off topic. You may think that our dialogue is just a thinly-veiled threat, which it is, but it's also a chance for you."

"A chance for what?"

"For you to finally let go of those ridiculous self-delusions that you can save the White Fang from the road they have chosen to take. For you to realize that they're beyond saving, especially for one, emotionally confused teenager who hasn't got a clue on where to start."

"I won't just stand back if I see a chance to help the White Fang!"

"Then you'll be throwing yourself into an early grave. Better than you have tried and failed miserably. Surely you're smart enough to realize that?"

Seeing that Blake wasn't giving a response, Sequoia sighed. "Whatever. I had intended for this to be a wake-up call, accompanied by said thinly veiled threat, but I suppose I'll have to omit the veil entirely."

Blake suddenly felt pressure on every inch of her body. Her lungs felt as if they were about to collapse, as if the very air around her was assaulting her. She had read books where characters could project their 'killing intent' onto others and had dismissed as mere folly. After all, she had grown up with trained killers and had never felt such a thing.

But this was not just some pseudo-psychological attack. This was pure power, just waiting to be unleashed. Power that was just barely constrained by those cold blue eyes.

"If any of them loses so much as a single drop of blood because of you, directly or otherwise, I will fight tooth and nail to be the first to wrap you in chains and throw you in a cold, dark hole where you will never see the light of day again."

* * *

"Nora, please stop eating the sap." Jaune sighed as he was ignored once again. Granted, it was hard to assume any kind of authority with his nasally voice at the moment.

"How are you holding up?" Pyrrha asked him with concern in her eyes.

"My Aura took care of most of the symptoms. Just don't let me drink any more of that stuff, will ya?" Jaune thought it was a real shame that he was allergic to the red sap, because from the way Nora was gulping it down like water, they had to be pretty good.

"Don't bother trying to stop her." Ren remarked, just as Nora emptied another jar and burped loudly. "All we can do now is wait for the sugar crash."

The four of them, along with the rest of their year, were currently hiking through the famous Forever Fall forest, with the mission of collecting the highly sought-after red sap in the trees for Professor Peach. Jaune had never met Professor Peach before, and bizarrely, neither had anyone else, apparently. Everywhere he asked about the elusive professor, he was met with blank faces.

He stepped a little aways from his team to take a moment to breathe in the sweet, fresh, forest air. He really couldn't help but reminisce. He was glad that RWBY and JNPR decided to split up, else he would have been subjected to Ruby and Yang's concerns. They knew about what happened in this forest, but despite their undoubtedly good intentions, he just felt that they wouldn't be able to understand.

He wondered if Velvet felt the same melancholy he did when she came here for the first time. _Probably worse,_ he thought.

His musing was cut off by the sound of something shattering along with a surprised yelp. Jaune whirled around. He whirled around to see his partner dripping with the thick viscous sap, with shards of broken glass in her hair. The rest of the team ran to her side and began to pick glass off of her. Luckily, the glass failed to cut into her skin due to her Aura.

"Are you alright, Pyrrha?"

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you."

"What happened to-" Jaune whirled around at the sound of harsh buzzing. A dark cloud seemed to writhe out of the crimson trees heading straight for them. Past the swarm of wasps, Jaune could barely make out a tall armored figure in tree-line. _That bastard!_

"Jaune! Those are Rapier Wasps! They're being attracted to the sap on Pyrrha. If they get too close, they'll overwhelm us!" Ren informed him.

"Got it." Jaune understood why Ren was telling him this. He placed on hand to the sheath strapped to his side, and activated his Semblance. Rosea Custos trembled, before a deluge of blood erupted from within. Swiping his hand in an arc in front of him, the blood responded and formed a shield to intercept the wasps. The wasps changed course before colliding with the red liquid, but Jaune didn't allow them to escape. He willed the blood to surround as many of the insects as he could, and crushed them inside the bloody sphere.

A few of the Rapier Wasps remained, but a few slaps from Nora and Ren easily took care of them. "Where did that come from?" Nora asked while wiping away insect guts off of her hands.

Jaune moved his blood back into his shield. "It was Winchester. He or one of his cronies threw that jar at you, Pyrrha." Jaune growled and drew Crocea Mors. "And now I'm going to return the favor." He stalked towards the tree-line, with Nora right behind him.

Behind the trees, he found nothing but several sets of footprints. "Tch, cowards. New plan. We'll deal with them later. You can break their legs then, Nora."

"Aye aye, leader!" Nora saluted.

He turned back to Ren and Pyrrha, the former using a towel to wipe as much of the sticky sap off of Pyrrha as possible. "Where'd you get the towel."

"When you've been with Nora for as long as I have, you learn that a mess involving sugar is all but inevitable." Ren said dryly. "I thought you were going to wreak vengeance."

"They probably ran off when they relized the Rapier Wasps weren't going to do much against us. We decided to take care of them later, or whenever we get back to Beacon."

"No, Jaune." Pyrrha grabbed his arm. "Please, don't start anything. They're not worth the trouble it could bri-."

"I don't want to hear it Pyrrha. You're right, they're not worth it, but _you_ are. As leader of this team, it's my responsibility to take care of my team, even if it's someone as worthless as Winchester."

"Jaune..."

"Well said, Jaune." Ren smiled. "Now, we have more than enough sap, so I suggest we get Pyrrha to the rendezvous point before the sap begins to harden."

They started gathering the jars they had collected, or at least, the ones that NOra had not emptied. They were just about ready to leave when all of their Scrolls began to wail.

"What the hell?" Jaune took out his academy-issued Scroll which was displaying the Beacon insignia flashing brightly. Every student was given a Scroll which was hooked up to Beacon's private network. It was useful in cases like this where the professors could not communicate with all students.

 **"A large number of Grimm have been spotted approaching our location. All students report back to the landing site immediately. This is not a drill. All students proceed with extreme caution."**

"It must be quite a lot of Grimm if they ordered an evacuation." Pyrrha said worriedly.

"Yeah, let's get going. Whatever it is, I'd rather not get caught up i-"

A mostrous roar reached their ears, followed by an explosion and several panicked, aggravated voices. Jaune only needed to glance at his team-mates before they burst into motion, sprinting towards the source of the sound.

As they neared the noises, he could make out four figures, completely surrounded by an assortment of Grimm. The Grimm themselves seemed to be normal sized, individually they would be no problem. However the sheer number of them would be too much for four first years.

Jaune leapt into the fray, Crocea Mors drawn and Rosea Custos fully extended, not needing to turn around to know that his team was right on his heels. He swung his sword towards a Creep about to leap on one of the fighters and decapitated it. The fighter whirled around, revealing blue eyes and dark blue slicked back hair.

"Arc?" Sky Lark said in a voice that perfectly displayed his disbelief.

"Shut up and keep fighting." Jaune growled. He turned away from him, giving his attention to the beasts surrounding them. _There are at least thirty of them, and there are still more incoming._ he thought gravely. "Nora!"

"On it!" Nora ran straight towards the largest Grimm, running right in front of them and firing grenades into their faces. Picking up the idea, Cardin swung his mace while activating the fire Dust inside, and manged to join up with Nora. Enraged, the Grimm followed them on their path of carnage, allowing the rest of them to launch their counterattack.

Jaune stabbed a charging Ursa in the back, right before turning on his heel and decapitating it. Using its dissolving corpse as a spring board, he leapt at another Ursa, batting away its arm with his shield and plunging Crocea into its neck. A Beowolf pounced with its clawed hand outstretched. Jaune quickly raised his shield and managed to stand his ground. The Beowolf was about to strike with its other arm, but a curved dagger spun through the air and embedded itself in the Grimm's head.

Jaune had no time to thank Russel because he was forced to duck underneath a Creep flying through the air, courtesy of Nora's hammer. Jaune spotted Ren and Pyrrha shooting at an Ursa Major. With a single thought, half a pint of blood flowed into his hand and extended into a sharp whip, slicing clean through its leg, and Pyrrha and Ren quickly finished it off. Jaune did not retract the blood whip, but instead continued to swing it around, keeping an eye on his comrades so he doesn't cut them by mistake.

The battle continued for several more minutes, and Jaune was beginning to feel the strain of fighting so hard, and there were still plenty of Grimm around. _Where the hell are they all coming from! If this keeps up we'll be completely overwhelmed. Looks like I got no choice._ "Everyone, full retreat! Back to the Bullhead sites!"

"What!" Cardin yelled. "No way. You guys can wuss out if you want, we'll take care of these bastards."

"Cardin, you stay here and you'll be overrun in minutes!" Pyrrha protested. "We'll have a better chance of making it back if we all go together."

"Not to mention we don't know how many are on their way." Dove added, trying to convince his leader.

Cardin seemed horribly conflicted for a while. "Fine." he relented through gritted teeth. "Let's go. But one question; how the hell are we gonna break through the encirclement?!"

Cardin raised a good point. Their destination was currently blocked by snarling Grimm. Any attempt to escape in any direction would provoke an attack from everywhere else. They needed an attack that would kill a massive number of Grimm in one shot while simultaneously disorienting the rest of them. Fortunately, he knew two people who could do just that.

"Alright, everyone. When I give the signal, cover your ears, then charge straight to the Bullheads." he ordered, before turning to Ren and Nora. "Okay, you two. Time for a little shock and awe."

Both of them smiled, with Nora's grin almost terrifyingly feral. She shifted Magnhild to its compact form, its chamber swivelling to a special type of ammunition. current flowed from her arms into the hammer, before she raised it and fired a single shot. The solitary grenade flew into the Grimm, where an Ursa attempted to bat it away.

It was a fatal mistake.

The grenade erupted in a cascade of blinding blue lightning, striking everything within twent feet. Some were completely ripped apart from the electricity. Moreover, the high voltage lightning jumped from one Grimm to another, increasing the damage radius even further.

"NOW!" Everyone clapped their ears and charged through the path created by Nora, except for one pink-eyed ninja.

With seemingly tremendous effort, Ren brought his hands together. A split second later an almighty roar burst forth from his closed hands.

Shock and awe. When Jaune first learned of Ren's Semblance, this was his first thought. Somehow, the dynamic fit perfectly with the two close friends. Lightning was devastating, an undeniable force of nature considered to be the work of gods for milennia. However, it was not alone. It had a partner, which was unseen, unfelt and unknown.

Until the very moment lightning strikes.

A deafening shockwave buffeted the Grimm, causing them to scream and recoil from the invisible assault on their ears. Their own ears ringing, the eight Huntsmen sprinted through the still-sparking path leaving the Grimm dazed and confused.

Their relief was short-lived when the Grimm bellowed as one, signalling their inevitable arrival. They didn't stop running. nor did they dare slow down. Occasionally, one of them would gain extra ground and fire several rounds behind them, but aside from that they trained their eyes straight ahead.

After a while, Jaune finally gained sight of the Bullheads, and it did not look good. Some of the Bullheads were already taking off, or in the process of taking off. Students were fighting to the teeth to keep the Grimm at bay, and some were carrying wounded comrades to the Bullheads. Professor Goodwitch was directing the students, while flicking her riding crop at any Grimm that was overlooked.

"Professor!"

"Team JNPR and CRDL, you're late. Have you encountered any other teams on your way here?"

"What? No! Are there still people out there?"

"Several teams, yes. Team RWBY being one of them. I have already attempted to make contact with them through their Scrolls but have received no reply. I can only presume that they are in a combat situation or..."

She didn't have to finish. _They are in no condition to answer._

"Well, we have to go look for them!" Pyrrha was the one who voiced his concerns.

"Impossible. We can't risk losing anyone else out there should they return on their own. For now, our best chance is to hold the line here to ensure that the Bullheads take off safely. You will stay here and reinforce the defences."

"But-"

"I gave you an order, Mr. Arc." Professor Goodwitch's voice became harder than stone. It wasn't the tone she used to berate a tardy student. It was the voice of a woman who had fought, and survived countless battles, who had commanded platoons of Huntsmen, who had stood defiant in the face of death for far too many times.

"...Understood." Jaune turned to his team, and saw that Cardin was doing the same with his own team. "You heard her. Hold the perimeter and reinforce the weak spots. If anyone gets injured, pull back _immediately_. you got it?"

"Yes, sir!"

Team JNPR burst into action, fanning out to different sections where they were needed. Jaune didn't waste any time, leaping into the front lines, cutting apart any Grimm who came too close and assisting other students who were in trouble. He heard a distressed shout, and saw a student lying on his back, his stomach bleeding profusely, and his legs bent at an unnatural angle, with a Deathstalker looming over him, its tail poised to strike.

Jaune pushed his muscles to their absolute limits, skidding to a stop in front of the Deathstalker. Rosea Custos was raised high, the blood hardened as much as possible to block the gold-tipped tail. The impact rattled his bones, but he managed to stand his ground. He then willed his blood to burst out of the shield and wrap around the tail to lock it in place. In his peripheral vision, he could see Dove hauling away the injured student.

The brief distraction, however, stopped him from seeing his opponent jab its armored pincer towards his torso. Jaune didn't have time to dodge, so instead he slammed Crocea Mors down on the pincer, stopping it in its tracks and trapping the blade inside the claw. With a burst of strength, he pushed the sword forward, carving through the pincer in a horrifing metallic screech, leaving only the bottom half of the claw attached to Deathstalker's arm.

Jaune suddenly felt a sensation of weightlessness, and realized that his left arm was still attached to the Deathstalker's tail. Before he could react he was lifted upwards, his body spinning through the air. The Deathstalker lifted its remaining arm-

Which was sliced off in a burst of rose petals. A white runic glyph appeared underneath him, slowing his fall and allowing him to right himself and land on his feet. He turned to back to the Deathstalker, only to see a fiery blonde land a savage uppercat which flipped it on its back, just in time for two black blades to bury themselves in in its stomach.

"Team RWBY, reporting for duty!"

After that, the evacuation proceeded rather smoothly. With all of their strongest fighters having returned, they were able to provide an insurmountable defence. Ruby's Semblance allowed her to assist any more incoming teams. Thankfully the remaining teams reached them safely and any injuries they had were not permanent or life-threatening.

There was only a few Bullheads left. JNPR, RWBY and CRDL were among the ones who were still fighting, with Professor Goodwitch staying behind to keep the Grimm away. Of course they had protested this, but she informed them that she was capable of using her Semblance to escape once their Bullhead was safely out of range.

Jaune and Yang were guarding a Bullhead in the middle of take-off when the sound of ripping metal drew their attention behind them. An Ursa had burst from the ground, its clawed fist punching straight up, tearing straight into the underside of the Bullhead.

The hatch of the Bullhead opened and the students, along with the pilots inside ran out. The last to exit grabbed his shoulders. "We all have to get out of here! That Grimm punctured the main fuel line and the liquefied Dust is spilling everwhere. It's gonna blow!"

The two blondes looked around. There were other Bullheads not ten meters away. If it exploded here, the blast wouldn't just destroy the Bullhead, but render a great number of the others inoperable. The two only needed to share glance to understand. Professor Goodwitch was too busy controlling the Grimm on the perimeter. The Bullheads weren't ready to take-off. They needed to stop this themselves. But they needed somebody to help.

"Weiss!" Yang called out. "Need help here!"

Weiss arrived without her usual grace and poise. That coupled with the sheen of sweat on her forehead was a sure sign of her exhaustion. "What do you need?"

"Ice," Jaune answered. "preferably enough to cool down this Bullhead."

"Sorry, but I've depleted my stores of Ice Dust. I've only been using my glyphs for a while now."

"Well, that's fantastic." Yang groaned. "Now what? We're running out of time!"

"If we can't stop the explosion, we can try to move it further away." Weiss suggested. "And I think I can help with that."

"I'll keep the Grimm off your backs." said Jaune. "Just hurry up before the fire reaches the fuel tanks."

Yang positioned herself underneath one of the Bullheads wings, and grasped the point where the wing met the engine. At the same time, Weiss summoned a large glyph underneath the Bullhead, its pale blue light casting an eerie glow on the Huntresses. The glyph was similar to her motion glyphs, but this one was designed to deliver one short but powerful burst of kinetic energy, and she could modify it to be released in a certain direction.

Their movements synchronized, Weiss released the power in the glyph, just as Yang heaved the wing upwards. Their combined strength allowed Yang to fling the Bullhead like a frisbee right into the forest, and coincidentally, a group of Ursai, three dozen strong.

Jaune allowed himself a moment to watch the carnage. The Bullhead collided the pack. Some were crushed underneath its weight, others were hit by the wings and sent flying. A few Grimm foolishly tried to climb over it once it had stopped, but that soon proved to be a mistake. The flames finally reached the fuel tank. The resulting explosion killed the Grimm, either by flame or by jagged shards of metal.

Jaune took the opportunity to kill the Ursa who had burst out of the earth where the Bullhead used to be. _Where the hell did this Grimm come from?_ He got his answer very soon.

The ground began to shake lightly, and Jaune thought it was the Bullhead crashing at first. Then it happened again, only much stronger, almost making them stumble. A crack appeared underneath the Bullhead, slowly snaking its way across the ground, until it grew big enough to swallow the aircraft. The Huntsmen in training could only watch as their means of escape was engulfed by flames and buried in a newly made chasm. But that was the least of their concerns.

From the fissure, black creatures rose, like water from a fountain. They came by the dozens, in a variety of species, some of which Jaune had only ever seen in his Grimm Studies textbooks. To make things even worse, the earth continued to rumble and smaller crevices appeared which spawned more Grimm.

Professor Goodwitch took command in seconds. "Schnee! Contact the Bullheads and tell them to turn around immediately! All of you contain the Grimm coming out of the ground, I'll continue keeping out the Grimm in the exterior."

They carried out the orders with as much vigor as they could muster up in their near-exhausted states. There seemed to be no end to them. They continued to climb, or slither out of the earth. The earth was still splitting, hampering their movements and giving rise to more enemies. It was like trying to plug up a dam, which was crumbling by the second; a futile endeavor, so all they can do is delay the flood for their escape.

But they could only fight for so long. Ruby lost her footing on the uneven ground, tumbling into the dirt. A Beowolf slashed at her, unable to do too much damage because of her Aura, but still managing to send her skidding across the ground, straight towards an open crevice.

"Ruby!" Jaune didn't stop to think, his reaction was instantaneous. His feet pounded the ground, leaving small craters behind him from the mere force of his steps. He dove forwards just as Ruby's body disappeared into the chasm. His right hand darted out and grabbed Ruby's hand. Turning around, his left hand extended upwards, three spears of blood digging into the rocks to stop their fall. But it didn't stop Jaune and Ruby from crashing painfully against the side of the fissure.

Jaune peered down and saw more Grimm approaching. Ruby spotted them too. She shifted her weapon to its rifle form and shot them down with impeccable precision despite her precarious position, swaying from Jaune's hand. Jaune looked up and saw Blake and Ren leaning over the edge. Seeing that both of Jaune's arms were occupied, Blake threw down Gambol Shroud and it struck the centre of Jaune's shield. Grabbing the ribbon, Ren and Blake began to pull them up, and Jaune assisted using his blood rope.

Their rescue was interrupted, though, by another quake, which was by far the most violent of all the ones they had experienced. Ren and Blake valiantly tried to keep their hold, but it was no use, as the very earth they stood on crumbled beneath them.

They were falling. The earth in which Jaune had stabbed his blood was breaking away. Looking around Jaune could see light piercing through the soil. The Grimm were falling with them, still growling and filled with the singular desire to slaughter them. Jaune wondered if they even knew that they were going to die when they landed.

Through the dirt and rotting tree roots, Jaune could see his comrades, desperately trying to use their weapons, their Semblances, and all of their skill to bring themselves up to the surface. If they were surrounded by rock, it might have worked. But the earth around them was soft, and loose, and they could not get proper traction. Not to mention that there was just so much of it, one couldn't avoid hitting against it.

Jaune pulled Ruby closer to him. Was he screaming? Maybe it was Ruby. It could have been somebody else entirely. Whoever it was, he wished they would stop, it was distracting. It was already getting hard to breathe since every time he opened his mouth, dirt flew inside. Not to mention the rising panic he felt, from him and Ruby. He looked up, and saw the sky bathed in a purple light. He quickly deduced that it was Professor Goodwitch. _She won't make it. There's way too many of us. She can't even see all of us._

"We have to slow down our fall!" he yelled to Ruby over the winds. He knew it was futile to try and get up. But maybe they can survive the fall.

"I'm way ahead of ya!" Ruby unloaded her magazine, immediately replacing it with another marked with a black cross. She started firing downwards, the dark energy of the Gravity Dust jolting upwards slightly with each shot. Normally, the Gravity Dust would be enough to slow Ruby's fall to the point where it was negligible, but the added weight of Jaune meant that she could only slow the acceleration.

The light was getting thin now. Jaune could barely see ten feet in front of him. He had no idea how long they had been falling, how long they had left to fall, and Ruby only had so many Gravity bullets.

He tightened his grip on Crocea Mors, his last resort. He focused his mind to his blade, pushing his thoughts with as much conviction he could raise. _You promised me power! Whatever the hell you are, it's time you delivered!_

Within moments, the sword responded. It glowed with a haunting red light, giving the two of them back their sight, Like a wild dog released from its chains, the blade bombarded its wielder with its desire, its rage, its bloodlust and most importantly to Jaune, its sheer raw power. His instincts began to scream at him, telling him what he needed to do.

"Ruby..." His blue eyes met her silver ones, "Do you trust me?"

Ruby didn't even hesitate. "Of course."

"Then curl up." Jaune sliced a long gash on his thigh, ignoring Ruby's yelp of surprise and horror. The warm, blood gushed out, joining with the blood in his shield. The viscous fluid swarmed over their bodies, which were curled to take up the least amount of space. Soon the blood had wrapped them in a shell. This cocoon, reinforced by Jaune's Aura, was capable of absorbing massive amounts of shock.

Jaune felt the impact, having positioned himself on the bottom to protect Ruby. The force was jarring even with the protection, and he felt his bones creak in protest, his muscles scream in agony. He broke his control over the blood, letting it fall on him and Ruby.

He could see her face, stained with his blood, bathed in the fading glow of Crocea Mors. Or was it fading? Maybe it was just his vision going blurry. Maybe both. He looked into her silver eyes, which were filed with worry, as she called to him, her voice just a faint echo in his mind. Because his mind was screaming something else. One last thoguht before his consciousness slipped away. Something his mind whispered to him when he gazed into those beautiful silver eyes.

 _ **She needs to die...**_

* * *

 **I'm sorry, okay? A month of waiting and I deliver this shitty excuse for cliffhanger. Though they weren't really left hanging, were they?** **Exams are a bitch. It's a piss poor excuse, I know. But it's all I got.**

 **Now enough grovelling, a few points about the chapter.**

 **First up, Blake. I realize at the moment, I'm making her out to be an idealistic and naive girl, and at this point in the story, she kind of is. She still doesn't trust her teammates yet and still retains some loyalty towards the White Fang. To me, it would make sense that, to Blake at least, trying to save them would be the greater good.**

 **Secondly, Cardin. He's a prick. Period. The only character we see from him thus far is the generic bully. I want to develop him more than that. For better or for worse though, that remains to be seen.**

 **Thirdly, Ren's Semblance. It may seem a bit too loud for his style, but just think about it and you'll see how it would fit him.**

 **Lastly, this concerns the story itself, a subject that has been asked about several times already and I feel I need to address. Pairings: I have no fucking clue. You gotta understand, interpersonal relationships aren't my strong suit, not by a _very_ long shot. I can only develop these characters emotions in whatever I feel they would react to the situations I put them in. So in other words, wait and see.**

 **Have you finished this chapter? Have you already read the previous ones? Then why the hell have you stuck this long? Tell me in the box below, please!**


	12. Chapter 12: Secrets of Forever Fall

Lifeblood

 **Thank you once again to those who expressed their appreciation for my work!**

 **I don't own RWBY. If I did, I'd probably ruin it within a week.**

 **Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado!**

 **Chapter 12: Secrets of Forever Fall**

Yang coughed herself awake. Her eyes flew open and she instantly recognized the Beacon infirmary. A hand held the back of her head to steady her, while a cup of water was put in front of her mouth. She gulped down greedily to quench her burning thirst.

Pulling the cup away, she got a good look at the one who gave her the water, and it only took her a moment to recognize the red hair and green eyes. "Pyrrha... what the hell happened?"

"Truthfully? I haven't the slightest clue."

Yang attempted to sit up, but Pyrrha stopped her. "No, no, no. You can't get up yet. You received a lot of injuries and they're not fully healed yet." Pyrrha reached for a remote next to her bed and pressed the button that made it lean forwards. "Move too much and you can tear your stitches open."

"Stitches? For God's sake Pyrrha, how bad was it? And where the hell is everyone?"

"As for your first question, you were in a tough spot. A few close calls, but the doctors got you stabilized in time. As for the others... Nora is fine, I sent her off to get some food when you started waking up. But the rest our teams..." Pyrrha hesitated.

"Pyrrha, spit it out."

"They're still missing. The sinkhole that opened up in the forest is apparently hundreds of metres deep. The professors are collaborating with official Huntsmen and local police to organize a search party."

"Is Ruby...?" Yang felt a cold hand grip her heart.

"She hasn't been found yet."

Yang let out a deep breath. If they haven't found her yet, then that means she could still alive. _No, don't think like that, she_ _ **is**_ _still alive. Jaune will make sure of it, he was with her when they fell. And I'll ensure it too._ She yanked the leads attacked to her chest and the IV drip on her arm.

"Yang, I told you, you can't move yet."

"Oh, please. Don't even try to stop me, Cereal Girl. I'm not going to lie on my ass while the rest of my team is stuck six hundred feet under."

"I'm not the one stopping you, Yang! I don't know how you haven't noticed but look at yourself! Look around" Pyrrha was nearly shouting.

Yang assessed her condition. Her torso was sore and wrapped in a thick layer of bandages. The side of her head was swollen and throbbing badly. Her left leg was currently in a cast and was resting on a harness.

Yang also looked at Pyrrha and noticed the bandage wrapped around her forehead, as well as some on her right arm, going underneath her uniform. She looked around her bed, and saw students occupying the beds around her and they were all in similar states. On the end of the room she could see Russel, Sky and Dove from Team CRDL. _I wonder where Cardin is._

She turned back to Pyrrha. "So what I meant to do now?"

"Recover. I'm worried sick too, you know. But I know they're in good hands. Last I heard, Professor Oobleck is spearheading an operation with a team of elite Huntsmen to find them. They said they enlisted a team who are experts in search-and-rescue missions. They'll be fine, Yang. They'll be fine." she repeated, as if to reassure herself as well as Yang.

They both knew it wasn't working.

* * *

Jaune woke up to a blinding headache and the sounds of clicking and metal sliding against metal. A dull green light filled... wherever he was. With too much effort than what should be needed, he sat up to take in surroundings. He was underground, that much was obvious. The traced the source of the green light to somewhere behind him, and saw that it was coming from a standard issue glow stick.

Sitting crosslegged on the ground, with her back to him was Ruby. He also realized that the mechanical sound he was hearing was her doing maintenance on Crescent Rose. Even in the dim light, her hands flew around Crescent Rose, assembling, disassembling, cleaning and polishing every part with practiced ease.

"Ruby..." Getting no response, he cleared his throat and tried again. "Ruby!"

The cloaked girl nearly dropped the components in her hands from surprise. She whirled around and was at his side in an instant. "Jaune, you're up!"

"Yeah... Ruby, where are we?"

"I'm not sure. After we landed, you passed out. I was worried that there might be another quake, and there were still Grimm around, so I moved us here. I didn't really want to keep moving while you were still asleep."

"Thanks." he accepted the small bottle of water she offered to him. "What about the others? Any sign of them?"

Ruby slumped at the question. "No... Apparently there's a really big cave system down here. I came across, I don't know, three different paths before finding this place. They could be anywhere by now."

"How deep underground do you think we are right now?" he rubbed his forehead trying to alleviate the migraine, but it was no use. He must have hit his head harder than he thought.

"I can't say. We were half buried after you collapsed the blood shell. You should have seen the size of the crater we landed in. I looked up and I could barely see any light."

Jaune gave Ruby back her bottle. He tried to stand, but stumbled back onto his knees. Ruby held him by the shoulders. "Take it easy, Jaune. Your Aura is slowly healing your leg wound and your other injuries but it's going slow." Her face took on a rare expression of irritation. "Speaking of which, what were you thinking, cutting yourself like that?! You could have bled to death, you know!

"Ruby, please don't make a deal of it. You know as much as I do that I'm the least likely person in the world to bleed to death."

"That doesn't make me feel better." Ruby crossed her arms. "I'll get your sisters to yell at you later. You need to rest up."

"Not happening. We have to keep moving, the Grimm are going to catch up to us. And we need to find the others as well."

Ruby pushed back down before he could try to stand again. " _That's_ not happening. You need to get your leg fixed, and I need to finish field maintenance on my baby. If any Grimm come in the middle of it, I'll let _you_ take a crack at them."

* * *

Ren walked through the dark, rocky cave, the complete lack of light in the cave proving to have no ill effect on his movements. He had been walking for three hours now, according to his Scroll, which he had kept switched off most of the time to conserve energy. Times like this he wished he had a watch, but thee was really no point to jewellery if it would shatter in a fight.

He was getting tired. He had spent too much Aura already to dampen his fall, healing his injuries, and even more to keep himself going. His lack of stamina had been something he had always wanted to fix and he should have done so sooner. A lesson in hindsight. Luckily, he had encountered no Grimm after his landing. Although, actually that part had nothing to do with luck, he supposed.

He came to a branching path in the tunnel. Closing his eyes, he tapped into his Semblance. Using the minimum amount of energy, he sent a pulse down both of the tunnels while focusing his ears. His hearing was already above average, and combined with his Semblance, allows him to operate in the dark just as well as in daylight.

At the moment he was more focused on finding his classmates than finding a way out of here. He heard the voices of two people along the left path, and judging the volume and the sounds of metal, they were certainly under duress. What's more, he recognized those voices.

He rushed through the cave, StormFlower drawn and sickle blades fully extended. He saw the familiar bluish-white glow of a Scroll on the ground. Standing back to back next to it were Blake and Weiss, tiredly fending off four Creeps. Blake seemed to perk up, and her golden eyes met his. She gave him a nod and whispered something to Weiss.

Silent as a grave, Ren crept up behind the nearest Grimm. Just as quietly, he leapt up and sliced through its spiked tail. The lizard-Grimm roared and spun around. It slammed his hand down, but Ren slid underneath its body, with StormFlower held up to slice open his belly. Standing up behind the dying Creep, he joined Blake and Weiss with their battles.

No longer outnumbered, the three of them were able to choose a Grimm each, which was the best strategy considering their lack of teamwork. One on one, the Grimm stood no chance against the Huntsmen, even as exhausted as they were.

Once the Grimm were dead, Ren addressed the two Huntresses who were picking up their Scrolls and asked the first question that came to mind. "Have either of you seen Nora?"

"No." Weiss replied.

"Have you seen anyone else?"

"No. Have you seen Ruby or Yang?"

"No." Ren answered. He looked around the room noting three entrances. "Which of these did you come out of?"

"This one." Blake said, pointing to the entrance on his left. "Why?"

"We should take this path." Ren gestured to the entrance on his right, which was overgrown with tree roots.

"And that deduction is based on what exactly?"

"One, these tree roots are alive, and last time I checked, trees don't grow underground. If we follow it we can find a way to the surface. And two, do you have a better suggestion?"

* * *

Ruby led Jaune through the caves, her glow stick held in her outstretched hand. Jaune was limping slightly, but he felt that he had recovered enough for light combat. They were both munching on ration bars and taking small sips from a bottle of water they shared.

After a while, Jaune grabbed Ruby's arm. "Stop. Can you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Ruby focused her hearing further down the tunnel. Now that she was concentrating, she could hear something. _What is that, Grimm? Wait, not just Grimm, those are words, they're people!_ "Jaune! There's-"

"I know! Let's move!" They drew their weapons in preparation for the inevitable combat. They came to an enlarged section of the cave. Lighting the cave were several glow-sticks, and standing awkwardly in the middle of the cave was Cardin. His right arm was bleeding badly, and his left arm was clutching his mace. His armor was dented all over, the plates along his right arm crushed beyond any possibility of repair.

They both rushed over, and killed the offending Alpha in a matter of seconds. Once the beast was dead, Cardin collapsed to his knees, his mace slipping from his hand. Ruby rushed over to him, while Jaune surveyed the area for more Grimm.

"Cardin, you're bleeding badly!" Ruby exclaimed. "We have to get that armor off so I can-"

"No... not me..." he grunted.

"What are you talking about? You'll be dead in minutes if we don't-"

"I meant... take care of them first." Cardin swept his uninjured arm around the cave. Ruby looked around, and or the first time saw the horror that surrounded them.

There were more than Grimm corpses in the cave. In their haste to rescue Cardin, they had neglected to notice the others in the cave, or rather, what was left of them. At least three people were lying around the cave. The one nearest to them was undoubtedly already dead. His torso had been torn open, his ribs clearly visible, his intestines spilling out over his side. Most of his skull was gone, only a small part allowing Ruby to identify him as male.

There was another young man, lying near the entrance. His head was facing them, his eyes glassy and his face bloody. His body was seemingly melded to the rocks, his spine bent to unnatural angles. Blood seeped from his body, staining the rocks, taking on an eerie color under the green light of the glowsticks.

Ruby turned away from the nightmarish scene, hunched on her knees with both hands held to her mouth. She couldn't hold in her revulsion, though, and was soon vomiting onto the ground. She coughed violently, splattering what used to be her ration bars across the rock. She could hear Jaune running somewhere. "Damn it." he whispered. She looked up to see him kneeling next to a girl, with two fingers held to her neck.

"Cardin." he said. "What the hell happened here?"

"What the fuck does it look like?" Cardin growled in response. "I found these three back there." he gestured to another entrance. "We were outnumbered. Ran like hell but more showed up from all sides. We were surrounded, we fought, they died. End of story." He was breathing heavily, clutching his bleeding arm. His face was pale and clammy, and there was no doubt that he was on the verge of passing out.

Jaune didn't say anything at first. "Is your Aura fully depleted?"

"What? Yeah. Been running on fumes since I woke up down here."

"Then we need to wrap up that wound before it becomes infected." Jaune turned to her now, his eyes softening. "Ruby, look at me." He knelt in front of her and took her hands in his. "Ruby, I know this is tough, and this is horrible, but I need your help right now. I need you to focus on what we have to do right now. Do you understand?"

Ruby closed her eyes, taking several shaky breaths. She swallowed the lump in her throat, and wiped away the tears and mucus from her face, before nodding in assent, not trusting herself to speak in case she broke down again.

"Alright." Jaune nodded. "Okay, first off do you have anything in your pack we can use as a bandage? A clean towel or something?"

"I... I have a clean cloth I was going to use for Crescent Rose."

"That's perfect. Bring it out and cut it into strips, you know how they taught us in first aid?"

"Yeah..."

Jaune turned to Cardin, who had fallen on his back, breathing heavily, his eyes half closed. "Cardin, I'm gonna have to take off the armor, and it's going to hurt."

"It already fuckin' hurts. Just get on with it." he snarled.

Jaune carefully used his sword to cut away the straps of the armor before pulling it away. He peeled back the blood soaked sleeve, ignoring Cardin's sharp hiss of pain, to reveal a long gash along his arm. Jaune let out a sigh of relief.

"Okay, it's not as bad as I first thought. You've lost a lot of blood, but I don't think any major arteries were hit. Wrap it up and a bit of rest and you should be ready to get up and walking again."

" _Should_?"

"Give me a break, I'm not a medic. Ruby, how's that bandage coming?"

"Here it is." Ruby presented the cloth, cut in a zigzag pattern to make one continuous strip of fabric.

"Thanks. Hold on to that for one second, will you? Before we wrap this up we have to make sure the wound doesn't get too infected." He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a familiar looking flask. He popped it open and let the strong smelling liquid flow over the wound.

"You have booze on you all the time?" Cardin said through the stinging sensation.

"It's for sentimental reasons. And before you ask, no you're not having any. We need your blood to clot, and I'm pretty sure we'll need you to be sober for a while." Jaune capped the flask and took the bandage from Ruby. "Lift your arm." Cardin complied, letting Jaune wrap the cloth deftly around his wound. "You know you're lucky I wasted perfectly good alcohol on you after what you pulled in the forest."

"What, you looking for an apology for your girlfriend, Arc?"

"As if. I'll just kick your ass when we get out of this hellhole."

Ruby watched the two of them through teary eyes. "How..." the two of them looked at her quizzically. "How can you be so calm about this? It's like you don't even care about them!"

"Now, listen here, you little brat-"

"Shut up, Cardin." Jaune snapped, pulling tight on the bandage, making him wince in pain. Jaune tied it into a knot and turned back to Ruby. "Look, Ruby. I don't know about Cardin, but I do care. I'm freaking out, I want to throw up and I want to punch something until my fists are bloody but I don't and do you know why?"

Ruby didn't answer, prompting Jaune to drop Cardin's arm and turn to face her. "Because this is our _job,_ Ruby. It's something you should have learned in your final year at Signal, but I suppose I'll have to tell you, now. This is our job and we have no chance in hell of getting out of here if we panic. After this, you can shout, scream, do whatever you want. But right now I need you to push it down and deal with it later, because as horrible as it sounds, _it's not the priority_."

* * *

Jaune, Ruby and Cardin walked tentatively through the cave, doing their best to travel quickly but silently. Their senses were alert, looking for any threats up ahead or behind them. None of them wanted any more unpleasant surprises, nor did they want to spend any more time in this place than they needed to. They didn't talk, not just because of the risk of distraction, but more because they just weren't in the mood.

Cardin was feeling slightly better. His Aura had started to slowly recover after he had eaten a ration bar and was feeling good enough to move.

Jaune, on the other hand, felt like crap, a feeling that he was sure was shared between the three of them. He was exhausted, famished and thirsty as hell. His persistent migraine was not helping matters either. And let us not forget the fact that he had basically twisted Ruby's viewpoint on its head.

Jaune somewhat regretted speaking so harshly to Ruby. He knew that despite her prodigious abilities, she was still inexperienced. He had had two more years to adapt and accept the harsh realities of the life of a Huntsman, something that he thought she would be able to match during her time at Beacon. But neither of them could have anticipated something like this.

Whatever the case he needed to keep all three of them focused on the task at hand. He felt absolutely awful dismissing the deaths of his fellow Huntsmen-in-training so quickly, but he knew that the only thing keeping him from falling apart was his previous experiences.

The atmosphere was stifling, both emotionally and literally. It seems that the rocks were exuding more heat the further they went. They had first thought that they were going deeper, and tat they should turn around, but they were clearly ascending in height, They had no desire to retrace their steps and had grudgingly continued.

Jaune spotted something up ahead. The three of them made a turn, and instantly recoiled in pain while covering their eyes. It was a white light, a stark contrast to the dull green of their glowsticks. In broad daylight it would have produced a glare, but in this cave, it seared their eyes shut. It was especially painful for Jaune, who was already fighting off a headache. It took them several minutes to adjust to light, but they were eventually able to turn around to see the source.

They would forever wish they didn't.

They on a ledge near the top of a very large hollow chamber in the cave. It was hemispherical in shape, and about twice the size of one of their lecture halls. Lining the bottom of the chamber were numerous exits. The light wasn't white as they first thought, it was red, but it was so bright the color seemed irrelevant. The light shone out of a rough stone pedestal on the floor several metres beneath them. More specifically, it shone out of a large translucent crystal lying on top of it. After hours trapped underground, the light would be welcomed, cherished even.

"What the fuck am I looking at?" Cardin said under his breath, voicing the question in their minds which were petrified in terror.

The terror in question, was scattered all over the walls of the chamber, even on the ceilings and the cave floors. At first glance, one could mistake them for growths, scattered all over and interconnected by vines, but a closer look would reveal them to be the wrong colour, and the wrong shape. And growths could never make such a terrifying expression.

Hundreds of corpses lined the walls, their naked bodies twisted in bizarre positions, seemingly implanted into the walls. Their faces were frozen in a myriad of expressions. Some were at peace, their eyes closed with small smiles on their faces. However the majority were locked in fear, their glassy eyes wide open, their mouths frozen in a lost scream and their bodies were littered with grotesque injuries.

The vines connecting them, were pitch black in color, sprouting out of the corpses' torsos gradually joining together into one of four thicker vines, which were nearly two metres thick, leading to the stone dais, like tributaries flowing into a river. Dotted across the four large vines were several protrusions, similar to buds, some the size of a fist, others nearly Jaune's height, throbbing in sync like a heartbeat.

"Are they... real?" Ruby's voice was so small and shaky, that Jaune almost missed it.

Jaune didn't answer, instead looking at the walls right next to them, where one body of a woman was seemingly looking right at him, only her head and shoulders were sticking out of the rock. He raised a trembling hand towards her pale face, his fingers ever so slowly inching closer.

His fingers brushed against the deathly white skin of the woman's face. The skin was dry, and papery, and cold to the touch. He had never touched a dead body before, for all he knew the one in front of him was a mere fake. But something in his mind told him that this woman's corpse, along with all of the others was genuine.

He abrubtly turned around, as did Ruby and Cardin, when the light behind them began to pulsate. A number of the largest pods attached to the main vines began to glow, allowing them to see a hazy silhouette of what they held inside.

"Arc, what the hell did you do?!" Cardin nearly shouted in alarm.

His question went unanswered, as they looked down the chamber. The pods began to swell, and simultaneously the corpses surrounding each pod seemed to wither away, becoming more and more emaciated as their flesh was slowly but surely absorbed into the pods. The pods grew in size until they were Jaune's height, and yet they continued to grow. The corpses decayed until their even their bones were dissolved. Within minutes, there wasn't a trace left of them.

Finally, the revolting spectacle ended, only to enter the second act.

The pods continued to swell and bulge, becoming more and more distended. The pulsations of light emitted by the crystal became more rapid. Jaune focused on the one nearest to them, observing it as it grew to twice his height. Suddenly, it stopped as quickly as it started. The pods ceased their movements, the light was no longer pulsating. Everything was in a state of calm.

And yet, their hearts were still in turmoil. This was not over.

Like a chick poking its tooth out of an egg, a white claw pierced the membrane of the pod. The claw receded, but stabbed outwards again and again, ripping it apart, reducing it into a tattered mass of flesh. The pod fell apart revealing a bulky, black, armored creature on all fours, a low growl emanating from its throat.

The newborn Ursa reared back on its hind legs and released a roar that chilled them to the bone, and it was soon joined by its siblings. King Taijitu, Creeps, Griffons, dozens of species emerged from the pods letting out their own cries before walking, or crawling, or slithering through any one of the exits out of the chamber.

The three of them had long fallen back in shock. They had clambered behind a large rock, once they saw the Grimm. Jaune could feel his wild heartbeat in his throbbing head as he tried to make sense of what he had just seen. Ruby and Cardin sat on either side of him, looking very close to a panic attack. He really couldn't blame them. He was having enough trouble accepting it himself despite seeing it with his own two eyes.

Their breathing ran ragged for a long while, waiting until the sounds of movement below had faded into nothingness. It was only five minutes after they could hear nothing, could any of them build up the courage to speak up.

"We need..." Jaune began, "to destroy this place." Ruby and Cardin could only nod in agreement. This place was an abomination, a grave insult against everything every Huntsmen believed in.

The threat of the Grimm was omnipresent in their world. It was their reason for the existence of Huntsmen. Countless people, Huntsmen, soldiers, civilians have died in the endless war against Grimm, and the only reason mankind hasn't lost hope was the belief that those sacrifaices weren't in vain. That the people died for a larger purpose.

But this sight has shattered that belief. Every death merely contributed to the enemy, even their bones being absorbed into the Grimm. How many people have died in the world? Millions? More? How many corpses are out there for the taking? How long can this place continue to produce those foul creatures?

They would see to it that today would be its last.

"That crystal," said Ruby. "Those pods started growing fast when it started flashing."

"That's our first target." Jaune nodded. "I don't what kind of crystal that is, but we'll need to smash it apart. If we can't we take it with us and let the higher-ups handle it."

"I say we smash this whole place apart." Cardin growled. "If those pods spawn Grimm, better to kill them before they're even born."

Jaune nodded in agreement. "We'll have to be quick about it. Don't waste ammunition, melee attacks only. Target the biggest ones first. We'll work our way inwards. That way, we can limit their numbers if they start to spawn while we're down there."

Following an unspoken signal, the three emerged fron their place behind the rock and leapt down off of the ledge, weapons at the ready. They split up, Cardin and Ruby running along ths sides of the chamber while Jaune went straight for the crystal. His sword was a blur, slashing left and right to slice open those disgusting pods. He walked slowly, which was probably a mistake considering the situation. But he didn't have the heart to step on any of the corpses. Trapped in this hellish existence, they deserved better than that.

Ruby was getting very close to the dais. Even without the use of her Semblance, she was by far the swiftest among them, the weight of Crescent Rose seemingly doing nothing to slow her down.

Jaune smirked in silent approval. _Once she gets rid of that crystal, this place will no longer give birth to any Grimm._

As soon as he had finished that thought, his mind exploded, his already present headache evolving into an unbearable pain. _What the hell?!_ His right arm suddenly felt like lead. He looked down and saw his trusted sword, Crocea Mors, radiating the same bright crimson light as the crystal. It burned in his hand. but he just could not release his grip. A multitude of voices bombarded his mind,

 _ **STOP HER!**_

 _ **KILL HER!**_

 _ **OR SHE WILL KILL US ALL!**_

"Ruby, get the hell away from there!"

Too late. Ruby's hand closed around the crystal. She screamed. Jaune collapsed in pain. And there was a blinding flash of silver.

Then silence.

Ruby went limp, falling to her knees, her head bowed down. looked over in confusion. Jaune tried to call out to her, but what came out was a weak cough. "R-Ruby..." He heard no response from her. Then again his ears were still ringing badly. He turned to the pedestal hlding the crystal, only to see the vines surrounding it start to writhe and latch onto it, protecting it from any outside interference, and consequently cutting off the light.

He shakily managed to stand, using his still glowing sword as a crutch. He started to limp towards Ruby, when she suddenly vanished, a flurry of rose petals in her place.

Jaune's instinct screamed, and he whirled around and raised Crocea Mors. Sword met scythe in a ear-piercing crash of metal. Ruby increased the pressure on Crescent Rose with power unexpected from her small stature, but Jaune's more muscled build allowed him to hold his ground.

The brief stalemate gave Jaune a small opportunity to observe Ruby. Her face was devoid of all expression. Her eyes were glowing, no, _burning_ with silver light, like two miniature moons. They were beautiful, and yet, oh so terrifying.

Because that cold silver gaze was trained directly on him.

Ruby broke the standstill by swinging the jagged blade at the bottom of the scythe's shaft upwards, but Jaune stopped it with Rosea Custos. Using both shield and sword, he pushed Crescent Rose to the side, forcing Ruby to stumble. He then shoved his shield forwards into Ruby's chest, making her fall on her back.

"Cardin!" he yelled out to the other Huntsman, who was watching in shock. "Destroy the crystal!"

"What the hell are-"

"Just do it! Hurry!" Jaune could not explain anymore, as Ruby engaged him in battle once again.

Jaune was undoubtedly fighting with a handicap. Sure, Crocea Mors was activated and was giving him a tremendous boost in power, but it was also clouding his mind, demanding for him to slay Ruby. He had to make a conscious effort to use techniques to incapacitate, instead of ones to kill.

Ruby, though, had no such hesitation. Crescent Rose was a crimson twister flying towards him at all directions. It seemed that even in her semi-conscious and unresponsive state, Ruby had retained all of her skill with her scythe. She used her Semblance to great effect, literally running circles around him to strike him where he won't expect it.

He needed to disarm her. Ruby armed with Crescent Rose was deadly, but disarm her and she was a considerably lesser threat. He had an idea, but he had a feeling Ruby would be furious with him when she finds out. He checked his shield, and found it empty of blood. That will make things harder.

Ruby positioned her scythe behind her fired a Gravity Dust round. The recoil launched Ruby at blinding speeds, threatening to slice him to ribbons. Jaune swiftly cut open the inside of his arm. He forced the blood outwards, gave it wire-like qualities and formed a net.

Ruby's scythe, as well as Ruby's limbs were caught in the web. Before she could even try to free herself, Jaune commanded the blood to yank Crescent Rose out of her hands. He caught the scythe, and used his limited knowledge of it to turn it back into its compact storage form. As an added precaution, he used his blood to jam up the opening mechanism in the case Ruby managed to grab a hold of it.

Meanwhile Ruby continued to struggle against the blood bonds, but Jaune tightened the bonds to render her immobile. Jaune suddenly felt a feeling of dread. He turned to look for Cardin and saw him hacking away at a mass of entangled vines, which he can only assume was the pedestal.

It seemed Cardin had finally had enough. The end of his mace began to glow with Fire Dust. With a fierce roar, he leapt in the air and brought it down in onto the top of the plant-like structure in one almighty blow. As soon as it made contact, it exploded, blowing apart the vines and revealing the crystal, bringing light to the chamber once more. He didn't stop there. He continued to smash at the crystal again and again.

Initially, it had no effect. But eventually, it started to crack, and chip away. Jaune was on his knees once more, his hand clutching his chest. Each strike seemed to resonate with him, the voice in his mind screaming, _pleading_ him to stop Cardin. But he somehow knew that if he gave in now, there would be no going back. With one mighty strike Cardin finally shattered it to pieces, extinguishing the light again.

Jaune nearly cried out in agony. Crocea Mors literally burned to the touch and he was finally able to let go of it. The instant it left his hand, it ceased to glow eliminating their only source of illumination, and his headache subsided. He switched on his Scroll to dispel the darkness, only to immediately feel a sharp pain on his chin. _Ruby!_ He must have broken his concentration on the blood bonds when the crystal broke.

He tried to stand, but another hit to the chest sent him sprawling on his back. Ruby appeared on top of him, her foot on his on his chest, rose petals floating around her body. Jaune had a horrible sense of familiarity with this situation, and immediately grabbed her leg and flings her away.

Jaune quickly got to his feet, but so did Ruby. She was about to charge forward again, but Cardin had come up behind her and swung his mace at her legs. Ruby fell on her face, and Cardin held her down. He was about to hit her on the back of the head with the end of his mace to knock her out.

However, before he could, blue streams of light shot towards his limbs, forming runic circles around his wrists and ankles to keep him still. "NO!" Cardin yelled, as Ruby escaped from under him, once again sprinting full speed towards Jaune, her eyes continuing to blaze with silver light.

Suddenly Ruby appeared to stop in mid air, before her body was jerked to the side and she crashed roughly into the ground. Jaune saw that the invisible force was in fact a black ribbon attached to a metal hook, wrapped around Ruby's waist.

"What the _hell_ do you three think you're doing?!" An glacial voice echoed around them. Jaune traced the source to one of the entrances to see three familar figures. Weiss stood with her sword raised towards Cardin to hold him in place. She was flanked by Blake, who was keeping Ruby still, and Ren. All of them wore expressions ranging from horror to confusion to anger.

"Us?!" Cardin explained from his frozen position. "That little brat was the one who went psycho tryin' to kill us!"

"It's true." Jaune rasped out, trying to catch his breath. Ren ran over to steady him before he could keel over again. Jaune gave him a grateful look, and turned back to Weiss. "Something happened to her, when she touched that crystal, it's like she was running moving automatically."

"What crystal?" asked Weiss, dispelling the glyphs on Cardin.

Jaune merely pointed at the burnt remains of the viny pedestal, where the crushed remains of the crystal laid. Weiss took one of the pieces to and held it to close to her eyes to examine it.

"I have never seen anything like this." she breathed out. "It is similar to a Dust crystal, but even without proper analysis I can tell its composition is completely different to what is normal. And you say Ruby began to act erratically after touching it?"

"Yes... is it really safe for you to..."

"It seems to be inert right now, and I can sense no energy radiating from it. I shall only take a few small pieces to investigate."

"What do we do about Ruby?" asked Ren. "We need to move, and we can't do it if we have to keep her from attacking us all the time."

"Give me a sec." Jaune knelt in front of Ruby, which only seemed to make her fight against her restraints more vigorously. "I noticed it when we were fighting, but she didn't even notice Cardin. She's specifically targeting me. I don't think I'll be able to reason with her."

"Allow me." said Blake, kneeling beside her still-struggling captive. With one fluid motion, she wrapped an arm around Ruby's neck, using the other as support. Ruby gasped as her air supply was cut off, and she had no way to resist. The fire in her eyes raged on, but eventually simmered down as she closed her eyes, fading to slumber.

"I thought you were going to reason with her!" Weiss nearly shrieked after seeing what was done to her partner.

"You heard Ren. We have to move. I'm sorry I had to do that, but none of you had the heart to do it, and this way she wouldn't have a headache when she wakes up." She released her hold on Ruby and stood up. "Just in case, though, you should probably keep her restrained."

"Weiss," Jaune got her attention away from examining her partner's wellbeing. "Do you have any fire Dust you can spare?"

"What? No I'm empty, but if you're worried about lighting, we have glowsticks, and our Scrolls still have a few hours on them."

"That's not it. I think you guys need to look around."

Jaune could sympathize with their growing terror and disgust as they finally took in their surroundings. Even Blake and Ren, the most resolute among them in controlling their emotions couldn't stop themselves from reacting. Weiss yelped and jumped back in surprise when she looked down and saw that one foot was standing on someone's arm.

"How..."

"I'll explain later. Listen carefully. See these pods? They're dangerous. We need to take out as many as possible, preferably the larger ones."

"Jaune," Ren had replaced his stoic face. "I have no idea why you want to do this, but we don't have time for this. We're running from a pack of Grimm already, and to be frank, you three are already going to slow us down. We need to get out of here!"

Blake growled under her breath. "Too late."

Glowing red eyes began to fill the darkness around them, as Grimm began to slowly pour out of the entrances, cutting off their means of escape. Jaune had no doubt that among them were the Grimm he had witnessed being born in this very chamber. _They must have heard us fighting and doubled back.._ Jaune thought.

Jaune wracked his brain for an exit strategy, but came up empty. There were simply too many liabilities. Cardin could only use one arm, Ruby was unconscious, and he himself could barely stand up. Perhaps Weiss, Blake and Ren would be able to defeat a number like this, but not when they are already tired and protecting three others. He simply could not see a way out.

Fortunately, he didn't have to.

Above them, the ceiling of the chamber detonated, sending shards of rock, clouds of dust and even entire boulders rocketing downwards. The rocks crushed and pierced the Grimm underneath, but somehow they remained completely unharmed, as if the rocks were targeting the Grimm around them. Before the Grimm could recover, a beam of light shot out from above them, incinerating dozens of Grimm in seconds.

"Who the hell...?" As one, they looked upwards to see their salvation. A brown blur crashed to the ground in a plume of dust. They heard a deafening roar, and spotted a flash of fire, which burnt a swathe of ashes amongst the Grimm. The sheer force of the fire blew away the dust and revealed their saviour.

"Professor Oobleck?!" all of them, bar Ruby, exclaimed.

"The one and only!" he bellowed, his voice bursting with grandiosity as usual, oddly bringing calm to his students. Over his normal disheveled attire, he was dressed for a safari, complete with a khaki shirt, brown overcoat and a pith helmet. "And it's _Doctor_ Oobleck! At long last, we have found you! We have been searching tirelessly for nearly two days, and you are the last ones to be accounted for."

 _We?_ Jaune didn't have time to ask the question on his mind two figures landed next to Professor, _Doctor_ Oobleck, with more grace and elegance than the older man. The first was a hooded woman wearing a black robe concealing most of her features. Oddly enough, Jaune had the impression that they had met before. The second was another young woman, with rich, dark brown hair, with deep green eyes. Neither of them seemed to be armed. "We are ready for extraction, sir." the woman said.

"Great!" Oobleck turned to his students. "Who among you is the most injured?"

"That would be Ruby, Cardin and Jaune, sir." Weiss reported.

"Very well then, we shall begin extraction. Ms. Olivine, if you please, and inform Dr. Lazuli to contact the other teams. I shall remain here to keep the Grimm at bay. Ms. Silica, provide aerial support. I'm sure we all want to leave this wretched place as soon as possible."

The hooded woman nodded without a word. Her cloak billowed outwards, forming the shape of wings and revealing the black dress she wore underneath. She flew up and circled around them, gliding over the Grimm.

The brunette woman nodded and held up her hands. "Please do not panic." she said in a gentle voice, as her green eyes glowed briefly. Before they could ask what she meant, Jaune felt something wrap firmly around his midsection. Jaune looked around and saw that a thick vine had attached himself to him. He panicked for a moment before realizing that it was not coming from the ground, but from above them, like a climbing harness. He looked around and saw that his friends (and Cardin) were in the same state, though more vines were attached to Ruby as she couldn't hold on.

The Grimm continued to advance on their position, but Oobleck used the fire from his mace to keep them under control. Ms. Olivine waved her hands and they were lifted upwards, towards the hole in the ceiling.

Below them a mighty conflagration spread, using the vines on the ground as fuel, leaving nothing of whatever it touched but ashes. In the center f it was Professor Oobleck, swinging his mace with a paradoxical mix of ferocity and finesse, bludgeoning any Grimm who survive the fire.

Griffons flew up to escape the professor, to devour them as they were lifted to safety, but they were viciously torn apart by rays of pure energy. Jaune could barely see the woman referred to as Ms. Silica, though whether that was because of her dark clothing or her insane flying speeds, he couldn't tell.

He looked up and saw that a few of them had already made it through the hole, and he spotted a pair of hands reaching down to grab Ruby and pull her through. Eventually, they were all pulled through, and Jaune could see a black haired woman with blue eyes helping them on their feet. Strangely, she was wearing a white labcoat over a blue shirt and jeans, and she held a lit cigarette between her lips.

She was checking Ruby's condition, checking her pulse and scanning for injuries. She then moved on to Cardin, unwrapping the makeshift bandage and checking the wound. She pulled a roll of cloth and a bottle out of her one of the pockets of her coat and redid the bandage, with admittedly more skill and precision than Jaune did. After reapplying the bandage, she gave Cardin a pill out of the bottle.

She turned to Jaune and gave him the same treatment. Jaune swallowed the pill without argument, and immediately felt better. It wasn't like the boost he got from his blade. It was more like he just swallowed a liter of pure caffeine.

Soon after they all clambered through the hole, Ms. Silica shot straight through the hole, holding Professor Oobleck under his arms. "Is that everbody? Fantastic! Miss Olivine, seal the room if you will." he said while dropping a cylinder into the hole.

"Yes, sir." Ms. Olivine waved her hand and the vines they used to raise themselves thickened and multiplied. They knitted themselves together to close the hole, blocking the heat from below. "We should move." she said after the task was done. "That will only hold for a few minutes."

"Thank you, Ms. Olivine. Dr. Lazuli, how is everyone's conditions?"

"You know very well I'm not that kind of doctor. But from what I can tell their injuries are fairly minor. I didn't see anything wrong with, uh, Rose, but she's not going to be waking up any time soon."

"Very well. Those of you well enough to run, do so quickly, and follow me. We have already ensured that our path to the surface will have no interruptions, so it is a straight run from here. Let's be on our way!"

The professor/doctor scooped up Ruby's sleeping form and joined the rest of them. As they ran Jaune could see what Doctor Oobleck meant when he said they ensured safe passage. Every opening they came across was covered in thick vegetation. More than one was giving off the sounds of snarling and roaring, giving no doubt as to what they were blocking.

"Sir," Lazuli said suddenly. "The Huntsmen outside the cave entrance are reporting an incredibly large surge of Grimm and they have been forced to retreat. The entrance is no longer secure and unusable."

"One thing after another..." Doctor Oobleck muttered uncharacteristically. "Plan B, then. We must locate a suitable alternate exit route."

Lazuli was already looking at something on her Scroll. "Way ahead of you, doc. There's a fork up ahead leading to the main sink-hole. I can contact the base camp and have them send a Bullhead to catch us."

"Can a Bullhead actually fit through the hole?" Blake interjected.

"As a matter of fact it can fit five." Doctor Oobeck thought for a few seconds before coming to a decision. "Alright, Ms. Lazuli, lead the way."

"How are you making contact with the surface? Scroll communication is useless down here." Weiss asked in a confused voice, but she received no answer from her.

"She's not using her Scroll." Ms. Olivine smirked. "I think it's as good a time as any to introduce ourselves. We were already briefed on who you guys are, so we'll skip that part. I'm Peri Olivine. The one in the labcoat's my partner, Apis Lazuli. The witchy looking woman in the cloak is Opal Silica. We're Team SOLS (Solstice)."

"Where's your fourth member?" asked Weiss.

Jaune already knew the answer. He turned to the cloaked woman. "You... I know you." he said getting her attention, as well as everyone else's. "You're Amber's partner." he said in realization.

"Correct." she answered immediately.

"You know her?"

"It's a long story-"

"One that can be told at a more appropriate time, Mr. Arc." Doctor Oobleck interrupted him. "I'm sure you wish to speak to Ms. Silica, but that can wait. We are nearing our destination."

"He's right." Lazuli spoke up. "We're very close to the exit, and I've received word that the Bullheads are ready. Now it's important to remember when you see the entrance to jump as far forwards are you are able. Forwards, not upwards." she emphasised

"Wait, what?" Jaune asked. "I thought we were getting picked up by a Bullhead."

"No, you weren't listening. I said a Bullhead is going to _catch_ us." she repeated.

"What's the difference?!"

"No time to explain, children, there it is!"

They looked forward to see a circle of light rapidly growing larger and larger. Doctor Oobleck tightened his hold on Ruby and sprinted forwards. He then jumped forwards, the members of Team SOLS.

 _Ah, damn, what else could go wrong?_ Jaune psyched himself up before flinging his body forwards. Despite his better judgement, he looked down while he was in the air. Below him was a gaping abyss that seemed to go on forever. He had a moment of vertigo and panic, which was quickly relieved when he looked ahead.

The sight of the black chasm was replaced by gray steel as he landed roughly into a Bullhead cabin. He felt someone grab him and drag him to the side, just as his comrades flew into the Bullhead after him. He laughed in delight. "That was insane!"

"Captain! We have them all!" Doctor Oobleck yelled into the cockpit.

"Roger that!"

The Bullhead engines roared, pushing it out of its hovering state and making the craft rise out of the sinkhole. Their ascent was slow, the pilots making sure not to collide with the sides of the sinkhole despite its prodigious size.

They rose to the surface, the crimson trees of Forever Fall coming to view. They rose even higher, and Jaune was able to see the camp of Huntsmen beginning to move out. Soon, the engines shifted into position to expel air backwards. Within seconds, the Bullhead was cruising through the air, the trees reduced to a collage of red blurs underneath them.

"Students, I know it has been a long day for all of you. But now I can assure you."

"We're heading back to Beacon."

* * *

 **Well, quite a lot happened in this one, plot-wise.**

 **This is my theory as to how the Grimm were created. A quick internet search told me that 56 million people die every day. Even if you pare number down, the number of people who died outside the kingdoms over thousands of years must be beyond counting. That's tonnes of raw material. And considering the damage the product can do... It's a vicious circle.**

 **Now, I've also touched on Ruby's 'Silver Eyed Warrior' status in this chapter. As far as how that is going to play out... Well you should wait and see!**

 **Let's not forget Amber's team! I hated the fact the show never developed Amber's character, (and I realize I haven't done much for that either) but I can at least give something about her past. Let me tell you how much of a bit of a bitch it is to come up with names that fit a team name, which is also a color, and 'Solstice' is a bit of a stretch already.**

 **That being said, Read! Review! Fav! Follow! If you would be so kind!**


	13. Chapter 13: Survivor

Lifeblood

 **Umm... I'm sorry?**

 **Chapter 13: Survivor**

Jaune, Cardin and Ruby stood awkwardly in the elevator. Jaune tilted his head upwards, watching the numbers above the metal doors as they rose. Cardin was leading against the wall with his arms crossed, his fingers tapping in impatience. Ruby simply looked down at her hands and fidgeted nervously. None of them looked each other in the eye. It didn't help that Ruby seemed to be inching further and further away from Jaune.

After waiting an eternity, the elevator stopped, and the doors slid open, revealing the Headmaster sitting behind his desk, a contemplative expression on his face. The three of them walked into the office, wordlessly standing to attention in front of Ozpin's desk. Seats had been provided, but it was only standard protocol until their superior has given you permission before being seated.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice. Please, take a seat." The three teenagers accepted the offer. Despite being seated, none of them looked any less uncomfortable. In fact, Ozpin's knowing stare only increased their unease.

"Let us not waste time. I'm sure you all know why I have called you here. I wish to discuss what you three witnessed in that chamber you found in the caverns underneath Forever Fall."

Silence. It wasn't calm and peaceful, or even stifling and oppressive. The silence was simply hollow, and empty.

Ozpin sighed. "I believe that is all the answer I require. I have questioned your team-mates as well, at least the ones who were in the chamber and they all described the same thing; a large dome-like chamber littered with corpses. I had hoped you three would say the same. Because as horrible as that description was, it is somewhat explainable."

Ozpin laid his elbows on the desk, his hands held together in front of him. "But what _you've_ seen... It is beyond words, is it not?" he said solemnly.

Ruby sank even deeper into her chair, looking as if she wished to hide within her cloak. Cardin's grip tightened on his chair's armrests, with a force so great Jaune thought he could hear it splintering. Jaune himself merely looked away, trying to control his rising emotions.

Another sorrowful sigh from Ozpin. "There are only a handful of people on Remnant who have discovered this truth. And you can guess why it is such a well-kept secret. But my this is my request to you. No, perhaps request is the wrong word. This is my order to you as your superior. You will ensure that this will remain a secret."

"Like hell." Cardin's voice was barely a whisper, but it cut through the air like a knife. "You really expect us to keep quiet about this? You're out of your damn mind!"

Ozpin didn't seem bothered by the blatant disrespect, which was good, because Jaune had something to say as well. "How dare you even suggest it? In the first place, what do you expect us to tell our team-mates? If you think for a second that we'd even consider lying to them you've got another thing coming."

"If that is your main concern, then you need not worry. I have already spoken to everyone else present in the chamber. They have been ordered to not ask further questions, and to not speak of what they saw to anyone, even to others who were involved."

"So that's it? Forget the trauma you've experienced, talk to no-one and thank you for co-operation, is that it?"

"Mr. Winchester, Mr. Arc, please calm do-"

"No, I don't think so. You don't get to play the mysterious headmaster this time. After the shit, we have seen? We deserve an explanation, if not everyone, then the three of us." Jaune gestured to himself and his two companions. "Explain."

Jaune held Ozpin's gaze for a torturously long time. But he was much too angry to be cowed. He could feel Cardin and Ruby agreeing with him, even if Ruby was quite silent at the moment. He didn't care if he was being ill-mannered. He wanted answers.

"We call them Nests."

"What?"

"These chambers are called Nests. They can vary in size, from being the size of this office, to thrice the size of the ones you saw. Some only produce one type of Grimm, others give rise to a are located all over Remnant, not just Forever Fall. Their numbers are in the low hundreds, and those are merely the ones we know of. "

"Wait, wait, wait." Cardin interrupted. "'the ones we know of'?"

"Yes."

"Well, why don't you, or some other Huntsmen, _someone_ just destroy these things! You said you know the locations of some of them, right? So destroy 'em, and that takes out the Grimm for good!"

Jaune was having similar thoughts. In fact the only comfort he had after the incident was knowing that no Grimm will ever be born from that place again. But he had a sinking feeling that it wasn't that simple.

"I thought that one of you might suggest that." Ozpin replied without missing a beat. He opened a small drawer underneath his desk and retrieved a large bulky folder which he dropped unceremoniously on the desktop.

"What is this?" Jaune chose to take the folder, cautiously opening it up and starting to scan the contents.

"147 reports, detailing missions with the same objective: the destruction of one or more Nests from Huntsmen all over Remnant. Can you tell me, Mr. Arc, what do they all have in common?"

"They're..." Jaune was quickly rifling through the pages now, getting more confused by the second. "They're all reporting mission success."

"What else?"

"...These are all decades old."

"Correct on both counts. You see, Mr. Winchester you are certainly not the first to make the suggestion. I have sent dozens of Huntsmen on expdetions aimed towards the annihilation of these Nests, and yet they still exist. Moreover, a large Nest is present right in Forever Fall, practically my own academy's backyard. So why did I allow its continued existence?"

It was clearly a rhetorical question, yet Ozpin still paused as if building suspense. "Because they simply keep coming back."

 _What?_ Jaune was restricted to his thoughts, for he was too astonished to speak. "That doesn't make any sense."

"You would be surprised. If you peruse those documents in your hands for long enough, you will find several missions based on locations in close proximity to each other. It took four missions to eliminate Nests in Forever Fall, before we began to theorize that the endless expeditions weren't due to a high number of Nests in the area. The Nests simply restored themselves after some time."

Ozpin took in their shocked expressions before continuing. "I assure you, our reactions were strikingly similar. We hardly believed it ourselves. It was't until we found a Nest a mere 100 meters from the site of another which had been destroyed two weeks prior that we were forced to accept that fact."

"So you just gave up and swept it under the rug?"

"Yes." The prompt admission completely cut through Jaune's rage. "There was a lot of debate and discussion about the decision, but essentially, yes. We gave up.

"We gave up because we knew that any more attempt would be futile, and would be a meaningless waste of effort. We gave up because lives were being lost in vain every time we destroyed even a single Nest. We hid the existence of Nests because we knew that morale would suffer if the Huntsmen, even if the civilians knew that nothing could be done about them. We knew that the situation against the Grimm is bad enough as it is without dangling a hopeless case in front of them."

Every argument of cold logic sapped away every bit of rage Jaune had. Ozpin was right, and they all knew it. And that just made it so much worse. It was a feeling that he had trained for so he would never feel it again. A feeling that every Huntsman despises.

Helplessness.

"So, what now?" his voice was ragged, a clear reflection of his current emotions.

"What now?" Ozpin repeated. "Now, you are dismissed."

 _Dismissed._ Like this was just another mission briefing. Like everything that happened could be summed up in a report. Like they could just go back to another day of classes. Like everything that was revealed in the last half hour was already old news.

Ruby certainly disagreed. "W-wait!" Ruby jumped to her feet, her eyes teary and timid, but still she pushed on. "None of this explains what happened to me!"

Jaune had expected this. He really didn't want to bring it up right now as he knew it was a sore subject for Ruby, and that was putting it mildly. But it was out there and they might as well get some answers.

"I don't know."

Of all of the responses Jaune was expecting, that was certainly not one of them.

"That isn't good enough!" Ruby had raised her voice to a frightening volume. "You've told us so much already. There's just no way that you don't know anything about what happened to me!"

"Believe what you will, Miss Rose. I have told you everything I know."

Ruby could not accept that. "No. There has to be something. Maybe you don't know really anything, but you must have some idea! That crystal we saw, Weiss is studying it right now! You have to have found out something about that." Ruby was desperate for answers, and Jaune couldn't blame her.

"While I have no doubt as to Ms. Schnee's skills and commend her perseverance in her task, I will tell you the same thing I have already told your partner. It is of no use. That crystal will be identical to the others and just as unyielding of its secrets."

Another dead end. Another stab of helplessness. Another major issue just swept under the rug.

"Th-that's..." Ruby's protests quickly died out, and all of her strength seemed t leave her all at once. She collapsed in her seat, cradling her head in her hands, fresh tears dropping from her face.

"How do you expect us to go on after this?" asked Cardin. His head was bowed as well, hiding his face from view, but Jaune could certainly hear the sorrow in his school.

"I expect you to fulfill your duties. To protect the the people of Remnant from the threat of Grimm."

Ozpin took note of the defeated faces on his students. Oh, how he wished that he never had to have this conversation. Too many times before had he seen the will to fight leave the eyes of what used to be the strongest Huntsmen. _Glynda was right. They are far too young for this._

"You three, listen to me." His students showed no visible reaction, but the he knew he had their attention. "It may sound presumptuous, but I know what you're thinking. You're thinking of how you could possibly face the Grimm knowing what you know now. Every time you think of a Grimm, your mind flashes to the faces of the dead you saw in that chamber. You're _afraid_. And honestly you would be foolish not to be."

Ozpin sighed, feeling every one of his years (and there were quite a lot). "This may seem like hollow advice from an old man, but I will give it to you anyway. A way to make peace with this knowledge. You are not insulting the dead by killing the Grimm. If anything, you are doing them a service."

"Service?!"

"Yes." Ozpin was unfazed by Cardin's cry of incredulity. "The dead are dead, there is no changing that. Those people are at peace. By right, their bodies should be returned peacefully to Remnant. However, the Grimm are violating that peace by desecrating their corpses and using them to prey upon their former brethren.

"You wish to know how you can face them again? Think of those people whose bodies are trapped in those beasts. Think of how many others they sent to join their infernal ranks. By killing the Grimm, you are freeing them from those shackles, from that wretched existence. Putting them to their final rest.

"That is how you make peace with this."

* * *

 _"Breathe, breathe, breathe..." she chanted the word like a spell, willing with all her heart for it to come true. She pushed her hands down again and again on the person's bare chest, regularly stopping to check his vital signs. Over and over again she repeated the routine, even as her hands began to become red and raw, and the man's ribs had broken._

 _Despite the growing belief inside her that it was too late, she continued. She turned to the man's face and screamed in desperation. "Please, breathe! Come on, wake up!" She returned her gaze down to her hands, and froze in shock. Instead of bare skin, her hands were immersed in blood, which was pooling around her knees._

 _She threw herself backwards, ignoring the splash of warm liquid she could feel around her legs and the sickening coppery scent in the air. She looked upon the body she had been trying so desperately to revive just seconds earlier. His torso was littered with brutal stab wounds, each one gushing a steady stream of blood. Her eyes roved over the injuries, before finally settling on the man's face and receiving yet another shock._

 _Those familiar blue eyes, usually filled with caring and laughter, were boring into her with a chilling gaze. An ominous whisper came to her, seemingly coming from everywhere at once._ _ **This is your fault... YOU stabbed him... YOU killed him!**_

 _This wasn't real. There was no way this was real. She would never hurt Jaune! She would never even think of it. He was like a big brother to her! She loved him! She brought her blood soaked hands up, and suddenly found herself gripping something hard. It was a large, bone-white knife, dripping with Jaune's blood._ _ **You see? You did kill him. But you should be proud. He was an abomination. He should never have been born.**_

 _ **You have fulfilled your duty, warrior.**_

Ruby gasped awake, her body pitching forwards and instantly regretting it. Her head felt like a hurricane had ravaged it, and she immediately retched after the movement. Something was placed in front of her, but there was nothing inside her stomach to throw up. Nevertheless she spasmed painfully, barely noticing the soothing words being spoken to her, or the hand rubbing her back.

She started sobbing, throwing her arms around the person beside her. She sat there crying, for how long she had no idea. She just couldn't seem to stop. Eventually, though, she calmed down enough to recognize the mane of curly, golden hair. "Yang...?"

"I'm here. Ruby. You're okay, you're gonna be okay, I promise."

She didn't stop sniffling. "I killed him, Yang. I killed him." she choked out.

"What? Ruby, who are you talking about?"

"Jaune!" she yelled. "I killed him! I couldn't help it, I couldn't stop but I... I..." she couldn't finish the sentence, and broke down into tears once again.

"Ruby, Ruby, please listen to me." Yang held her face gently, but firmly, making Ruby look her straight in the eye. "Jaune is _fine_. He's alive and kicking and still as much of a pain in the ass like he always is. He is _fine_. Whatever you saw in your nightmare, I promise you it wasn't real." she stressed out.

Yang saw that Ruby still looked doubtful. "Tell you what, Rubes. The doctors are keeping Jaune right outside. I can bring him in right now and you can see for yourself."

"No!" Ruby instantly responded. "Please, don't. Not yet. Not now." she pleaded, clinging fearfully to her sister, who was looking more and more confused after each word.

"Ruby, what happened to you down there?"

"I can't. I'll tell you soon, I promise. Just please..." Ruby trailed off.

She didn't have to finish for Yang to know what she needed. She wanted to talk to Jaune, to Blake, to Cardin, to _anyone_ who was down there with her and get an explanation even if she had to beat it out of them. But right now, Ruby needed her, and that was the most important thing in her mind.

She pulled her crying sister closer, her heart breaking a little more with each sob.

* * *

"Weiss, Weiss, wake up." Blake shook her teammate's shoulder, rousing her from her slumber. Weiss pulled her head up from the desk she was using as a pillow. She rubbed her sore cheeks before yawning. Blake looked at her concerned. "How long have you been here?"

"That depends." she said drearily while rubbing her eyes

"On what?"

"What time is it?" .

"About 6:30."

"In the morning?"

"In the evening."

Weiss groaned. "That means I've been here close to thirty hours. And I've been asleep for six!" Weiss shot up from her seat and started scurrying around the room.

The room in question was pristine, all white and grey. High-tech equipment lined the walls, a number of which whirring and flashing symbols Blake couldn't even begin to comprehend. However Weiss seemed right at home here, handling herself and the equipment with a level of expertise unexpected for someone her age.

This was one of Beacon Academy's Laboratories, specifically, Laboratory no. 1, the biggest, newest and most well-funded, which focused on Dust. Remembering Weiss' last name, she really shoudn't have been to surprised with her proficiency.

"Damn it!" Weiss' unusual use of vulgar language brought her of of her thoughts. Weiss was reading a printout from one of the machines. "Inconclusive. Maybe it's because I do not have the full crystal. Cardin did shatter it, and he used fire Dust. In that case the sample is probably contaminated. I can try to recrystallize it to obtain a purer sample..." Weiss unleashed a torrent of technical jargon which was completely lost on Blake. However she didn't need to understand it to see the growing frustration and exhaustion on Weiss' face.

"Weiss, hey," Blake grabbed Weiss by the shoulders to get her attention. "Maybe you should slow down a bit."

"Slow down a bit?!" Weiss was taken aback. "Blake, how can I slow down, when I haven't even gotten anywhere? I have not learned a thing about these crystals since I have started working. If anything I'm even _more_ confused."

"Then maybe you should find a professor to help you. Taking on this workload by yourself isn't healthy."

This time Weiss turned around and continued tapping away at the machines. "The only professors in the school that are more knowledgeable than I am about Dust is Professor Goodwitch and Professor Peach. The former is handling the mop-up operations in Forever Fall, and the latter is nowhere to be found, as usual. And of course, Headmaster Ozpin has ordered an informational quarantine, so I can't ask the upperclassmen for assistance."

"Then at least take a small break. You're running yourself ragged."

"I can't stop, Blake!" Weiss slammed her hands on the table, knocking away some folders, but she didn't seem to notice. "In case you haven't noticed, my partner can barely talk to me without bursting into tears. _Your_ partner is near catatonic trying to help her. Jaune, and even Cardin, won't say anything that isn't monosyllabic. And you know what?"

Weiss swung around and looked Blake in the eye. "I can't do a single thing about it."

"Weiss..."

"But I can do something about this." she gestured to the room around her. "Maybe I can find out what happened to the three of them. Maybe I can try to figure out how this crystal affected Ruby so negatively. And _maybe_ ," Weiss was nearly in tears now, her voice choking up. " _Maybe_ I'll stop feeling so damn useless."

The two teammates looked at each other, just looked at each other, not saying anything. An understanding passed between them. Blake couls see it now. The feeling of helplessness, and powerlessness when someone you cared about was in trouble was a horrible, soul crushing experience she wouldn't wish on anyone, even if she wasn't on the best terms with Weiss.

"...How can I help?"

"Huh?" Now Weiss looked really confused.

"I know you don't want any help. But I'm not going to let waste away here on you own."

"So you're going to waste away with me?" Weiss chuckled sardonically.

"Look, Weiss," Blake sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "I don't know anything about any of this. If I'm in the way, tell me to do something else, explain to me what you need me for. Just tell me what to do."

Weiss stared at her long and hard. After a silence that seemed to stretch on forever, she spoke. "I need to test how this crystal reacts to Aura. The fragments I have are too small to observe except under a microscope. I need you to feed each fragment a trickle of Aura while I record and study the results."

"Got it."

Blake sat on one of the lab chairs and waited for Weiss to set things up. She heard her say something. It was probably meant to be inaudible, but her cat ears picked it up easily.

"Thank you."

* * *

"You've been avoiding me."

Jaune was on the roof, his back against the door, blocking her escape route. "W-what are you talking about?" she stammered timidly.

"You know what I'm talking about, Ruby. You woudn't let me in to your hospital room, you run away whenever we end up in the same room, Ruby you can't even look me in the eye!"

Ruby remained silent, yet another thing that was wrong with her. Ruby was _never_ this subdued. "Please, Ruby. I'm worried about you. Yang says you're not eating, you barely sleep and when you do, you wake up screaming. You need to tell me what is going on with you so I can help."

Ruby looked close to crying again. "I...I don't need any help. Not from you, Jaune."

That statement hurt. "What do you mean, 'not from me'? Since when do you keep secrets from me?"

"Don't act as if you don't know what's wrong!" Ruby blurted out.

Jaune tried to step closer to her, but Ruby only backed away. "Look, Ruby. If you're feeling guilty about what happened down there, I already said you don't have to be. That crystal did something to you, but it's over now."

"It's not over!" Ruby fell silent, and so did Jaune, the latter more because he was too stunned to speak.

"When I touched that crystal, I felt it. I wanted to kill you. It wasn't random, it was telling me to attack _you_ , to k-kill-" she couldn't continue, and fell to her knees, cradling her head in her hands. Jaune ran forwards to help her, but Ruby lashed her arms out. "Stay away... please"

"Ruby, whatever you felt, or whatever you did, that's over. I don't blame you-

"It's not just that... I wasn't completely out of it the entire time. I knew what I was doing. But I couldn't stop myself. And that's not the worst part.

"The worst part was that it felt _right._

"It felt like I was doing the right thing, it was the same way I feel whenever I fight the Grimm. I wasn't even angry, or scared. Like it was something I was meant to do! And to feel like that against my best friend is..." Ruby trailed off. "And what if it happens again, huh? What one day, I decide that the right thing to do was to k-kill you! How can I-" Ruby burst into tears again.

Jaune didn't know how to react. He felt that he could somehow understand Ruby's distress now. Ruby felt that she had betrayed him, and that she couldn't trust herself to be near him without thinking of killing him. The problem was that he had no idea how to address it.

But he had to do something. Otherwise, this will leave Ruby to spiral into depression, a fate that he never would have thought was possible for someone like her.

"Ruby, you are strong. One of the strongest people I know. Not just in fighting, but your spirit as well. It's one of the things I admire about you. You never give up, you never lose hope, you always try to find a way. So I'm begging you now, please don't give up on yourself."

"But I-I-"

"If you can't trust yourself, trust _me._ I know you well enough to know you can fight this."

Jaune could see that his words were having an effect, but it was not enough. He had to build on this. He needed a way to build up her confidence in herself again.

"Ruby, grab your gear."

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Pyrrha was nervous, a feeling that does not come easily to her. Yet here she was, wringing her hands together in a clear show of anxiety.

"Hell no." Jaune answered immediately. "But this is the only I can think of to show Ruby that I trust her, then she can trust herself again."

"But why can't I come along?"

"Ruby doesn't have a problem with you. I think it's best that the two of us handle this alone. Besides, we need you guys to stay here and cover for us if the Professors go looking." Jaune removed the tube from his arm which was connected to an opening in the back of Rosea Custos. The puncture wound in his arm disappeared instantly "There, all topped up." Jaune strapped his shield and sword to his hip.

Jaune disposed of the tubes he was using to transfer his blood and pulled out a rolled from his locker up sleeping bag and a backpack. He walked to where Ruby was putting on her combat outfit and stocking up on ammunition. Much like Pyrrha, Yang was hovering over Ruby in the same anxious manner.

"Are you guys seriously doing this?"

"Yeah, are we seriously doing this?" parroted Ruby, clutching the compact Crescent Rose so tightly Jaune thought the metal would bend. _I guess she's still a little nervous._ Though with any luck, Jaune hoped his idea would change this. Otherwise he has got nothing.

"Of course!" Jaune said cheerily (or at least he hoped it sounded that way). "Think of it as a leaders' conference! A bonding exercise, eh? Like those times camping trips we went on in the forests in Patch!"

"An off-the-books mission in the Emerald Forest for two days is a camping trip?"

"Sorry, Yang. But a trust fall isn't going to cut it. We're Huntsmen, this is how we bond." Jaune thought his reasoning was correct, if a bit slipshod. He knew Ruby was suffering from survivor's guilt, and there were only so many ways to deal with such powerful emotions.

One of the recommended methods was to talk about it. That won't work for someone like Ruby, at least not completely. Despite her tendency to babble, she was a girl of action, preferring to let her deeds (and occasionally Crescent Rose) show her intentions.

The one Jaune was thinking of was getting Ruby to take action. He wanted her to see that she was needed in the field in top form. She needed to focus on the present if she was ever going to let the past go. She needed to remember her purpose as a Huntress.

The lives of Huntsmen were extreme by definition, they lived on the edge pretty much their entire lives (which were admittedly not that long). Any problems, whether with their weapons, their team or themselves had to be fixed immediately. No time for starting small, desperate measures were the first actions to be taken.

Besides, compared to Forever Fall, the Emerald Forest was a walk in the park.

He had grudgingly invited Cardin. Sure, he might be an ass, but Jaune had no doubt that he was just as affected as they were, even if his gruff and prideful exterior simply refused to let it show. And as much as he hated to admit it, he had saved his life back then when Ruby was... well... trying to kil him. Unfortunately, it didn't work out as he'd hoped...

 _"Can we talk?"_

 _"What's there to talk about?" Cardin didn't even bother to turn around, merely continuing to beat the battle-drone into scrap metal._

 _"You have to ask? Cardin, I can smell the booze on you from here. You're lucky Professor Goodwitch hasn't caught you out." Jaune said with his arms crossed, his tone slightly chiding._

 _"Don't condescend to me, Arc."_

 _Jaune felt his eye twitch. "Okay, first off, it's concern, not condescension. Secondly I came to offer you some help, alright?"_

 _"Help?"_

 _"You're in pretty bad shape, Cardin. We all are. We need to get this out of our systems."_

 _Cardin finally turned around, resting his mace on his shoulders. "Hmm, let me think." he said, his voice laced with sarcasm. "A group therapy session with you and Little Red Riding Hood where we can bitch about how screwed up we all are. Sounds thrilling, but I'll pass."_

 _Jaune sighed. He knew this would be difficult, but he didn't want to half-ass this. He genuinely wanted to bring Cardin along. "I realize it's not ideal, and to be honest I'm having doubts about this myself, but you can't afford to ignore this."_

 _"Oh yeah? Watch me." He walked right past him, going to the console which activated and controlled the practice drones. After setting a difficulty, a section of the floor opened up and a drone rose, ready for battle._

 _"Cardin, please-"_

 _"Shut the hell up, Arc. I've no interest in whatever pity-party you have planned. I'm not so weak that I need help to get over it."_

 _Jaune was about to retort that asking for help was not synonymous with weakness, but decided against it. Cardin would probably just argue stubbornly against that point and they would get nowhere. He was willing to help Cardin, but he did't seem to want any, so what else could he do?_

 _He walked away._

He had outright refused, which didn't really surprise Jaune. He and Cardin's interactions before the incident were already hostile. If Cardin needed to find some form of closure, then it wouldn't be with him and Ruby.

"Ready, Ruby?"

"I guess... Are you sure that this isn't too soon? I mean the doctors did say to take it easy for now. I heard you were in really bad shape and I really wouldn't mind if-"

Jaune cut off her ramblings. "Yang, can you give us a second?"

Yang looked ready to protest, but Pyrrha grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the locker room without hesitation. "We'll see you guys on your way out, okay?"

Jaune took a seat on the bench next to Ruby. He took care not to sit too close to her. While he wanted to get her more comfortable around him, he didn't want to force things. He knew why Ruby was so hesitant, and it wasn't just because this trip was with him. "So, this isn't just because you think you want to kill me, right?"

Ruby shook her head slowly. "I don't know if I can do it. If I can kill them."

"Who?" But he already knew the answer.

"You already know. Haven't you thought about it?"

"Hmph. Since when were you one to think things through?"

"Shut up." Ruby turned away, a small pout on her face.

Jaune smiled at seeing Ruby's childishness again. "Yeah, I've thought about it. I've thought about it a lot. Especially after what Ozpin told us. What he said about setting those people free, it helps, but I'm still worried I'll do exactly what you're afraid of. I'm gonna see those monsters, and just... I don't know. Just freeze up, maybe."

"But then I realized I was making a huge mistake in my thinking. Whenever I imagine that place, I keep thinking of it as the place where the Grimm are born. In that way, the name 'Nest' is actually kind of accurate. But I was wrong."

After Ruby's confused expression, he continued, trying desperately to explain his musings without tripping up his words. "The name 'Nest' is completely wrong. We need to stop thinking of it like that. The Grimm are not _born,_ they're _made_. I think that's an important difference. The Grimm... aren't people, no matter what they're made of. They're just soulless, mindless. They don't want anything or do anything but kill us.

"That's pretty much what I'm telling myself right now. We're not doing anything wrong. Really, no Huntsmen is doing wrong by doing this. There's no reason to feel guilty about what we do. It's like... fighting machines, you know? We don't hold back because it's not alive in the first place. We protect people. We do what we have to keep them safe."

"Fighting machines, huh..." Ruby mumbled.

Jaune could see the wheels spinning in her head. In truth he had been pulling words out of thin air, but he found himself believeing every bit of it. _Now if it could convince her..._

 _Click_

 _What?_ Jaune looked at Ruby and saw her load a new magazine into Crescent Rose. The folded scythe was deftly tucked at her waist. Her cloak seemed to flutter protectively around her. Her face tentative, and contained traces of uncertainty, but the determination set upon it was unmistakeable, if small.

"What are you waiting for, Jaune? We got Grimm to hunt."

* * *

Jaune and Ruby had been in the forest for four hours, and Jaune could alraedy tell this wasn't going to be easy. They had been tracking a group of Ursai for a couple of hours now, getting closer by the minute. That wasn't the difficult part, tracking Grimm as large as Ursai was a basic skill that any first year is capable of.

The hard part was that as determined as Ruby was to getting her mojo back, she was equally determined to maintain a distance of three feet from Jaune. Soon, the two of them had caught up to the Ursai pack, which was moving at a slow pace, or at least, slow compared to the two of them. "There they are." Jaune called out. "Are you ready, Rubes?"

"Sure... You go on ahead. I'll, um, give you support fire!" Ruby said timidly, pulling out Crescent Rose in its rifle form.

Jaune let out a sigh. _Well at least she drew her weapon._ Admittedly, though Ruby could shoot one hundred targets out of a hundred using Crescent Rose, he would much rather use her melee skills. To fight alongside him. But maybe it isn't completely bad.

"Got it." he nodded. "You got my back, right?"

Ruby was visibly taken aback, looking as if she was about to scrap this trip and run back to Beacon as fast as her Semblance could carry her. But much to Jaune's pleasant surprise, she shook her head, as if to clear the doubts out of her mind before nodding firmly. "I got your back."

Jaune grinned, before taking several deep breaths _._ His hand hovered over the hilt of his sword, before he steeled himself and drew Crocea Mors in one fluid motion, the metal gleaming and singing as it slid smoothly out of the sheathe. _Monsters, not men._ With that final thought in his head, he jumped into battle, the metallic sound of Rosea Custos sliding into position on his arm providing a familiar comfort.

The first Ursa died before it even saw him. He plunged his sword straight through its neck from behind, wrenching it to the side to complete the cut. The Grimm hadn't even hit the ground when he sprinted towards another Grimm. The second one presented a meager attack in the form of a raised arm, but Jaune merely raised his shield to defend. He barely felt the impact on his arm as he slashed the Grimm's torso three times in quick succession.

A crack followed by the sound of a bullet cartridge ejecting caught his attention. He turned to the left to see another Ursa with a gaping hole in its stomach, just before another bullet blew its head apart. More shots were fired, each one fired with pinpoint precision, rapidly killing Grimm around him, specifically, those positioned in his blind spots.

Jaune moved his body back to avoid a claw by mere inches, and cleanly lopped off the arm. He kicked the Ursa in the legs, making it fall forwards, right into Crocea Mors. A few Grimm had noticed Ruby from her spot in the trees and started moving towards her. Jaune took advantage of their new focus, striking them from behind.

An Ursa Major leapt high into the air, as if trying to crush him underneath its bulk. Jaune was surrounded on all sides; he couldn't leap backwards or forward, nor could he roll to the sides. He raised his shield to block the hit, when a bullet tore into the Ursa's right shoulder, which then exploded in a small sphere of flame, and sent it spinning wildly. He smirked, and slashed his sword in a direction opposite the spin, splitting the Ursa cleanly at its waist. The two halves landed roughly behind him, the spikes flying off to inflict more damage on the surrounding Grimm.

"JAUNE!"

The scream tore his attention to the trees. He cursed himself for his stupidity and carelessness. The Ursai must have slipped past him while he was surrounded so he couldn't see them. He bashed his shield against the Grimm in front of him, batting it to the side. He ran towards the sound of gunshots, slicing up the Grimm in his path. The gunshots had ceased, replaced by the whistling of metal through air. _She's using her scythe form._

Jaune finally found Ruby, but it seemed she was no longer in danger, judging by the dissolving bodies of Grimm around her. Though that begged the question, why was she still swinging Crescent Rose? He saw her standing in front of a tree, using Crescent Rose to cut apart an Ursa which was lying against the tree-trunk. The Ursa was already dead, and Jaune could already see it breaking down, but Ruby didn't seem to notice.

She continued to bring Crescent Rose down again and again, without the grace, or prodigal skill she usually possesses. Her swings were wild, frantic, panicked even. Jaune could even hear her cutting into the tree behind the Grimm. "Ruby!"

Ruby shrieked and spun around, Crescent Rose making a deadly arc around that barely missed him. "Whoooa there, Rubes. Calm down, alright. stop it, stop it!" he finally got her to stop by lunging forwards between swings and grabbing Crescent Rose's. Normally, Ruby would never have allowed him to do this, but she clearly wasn't in the right frame of mind.

"Ruby, it's dead, _very_ dead! Please, calm down!" Ruby's squirming and struggling died down, until she was simply standing there with her head bowed, and yet her grip on her weapon only tightened. Jaune could only look at the young woman, her head bowed, her arms trembling, glistening tears dripping from under her bangs.

 _Well this is off to a great start..._

* * *

The two of them were huddled around a small campfire. Well, huddled is a bit of an exaggeration. Honestly, Ruby was sitting across from him, her knees held up close to her chest. She was staring blankly at the fire, the light flickering in her silver eyes.

Jaune wondered if he should say something. Would it make things better or worse if he asked? Did Ruby need someone to talk to, or was this something she needed to work out by herself? Would she even listen to him if he offered any help?

 _Ah, what the hell._

"Ruby, are you alright?"

"..."

 _Okay, when at first you don't succeed..._ "Rubes? Do you want to talk about what happened back there?"

"... Remember when I was starting to install a rifle into Crescent Rose?"

The segue took him by surprise, by he decided to play along. "I remember. You spent months perfecting it. Nearly took your own head off the first time you tested it if I'm remembering right. So you spent months more perfecting your style."

That earned a small smile from Ruby. "Yeah. I would spend hours at the range, practicing with still and mobile targets, making sure my aim was never off. I remember that whenever I looked through my scope, I would always imagine a Grimm was right there, so I could aim for stuff like the legs or weak points and stuff, you know?"

"Where are you going with this, Rubes?"

"When I started fighting Grimm, I thought that I might have to adjust because they were, you know, real and 3-D. But it was easier than I thought. It was actually easier than the targets because I didn't have to go through the trouble of picturing them. They were Grimm, and I had to shoot them. Simple.

"But today, it was the complete opposite. Whenever I lined up a shot, I just couldn't pull the trigger. I tried, but I just couldn't move. I had to bring back back the targets, like there's a piece of paper over them and I was just back at the range aiming for the bulls-eye. And it worked! Really well, until..."

"Until...?"

"There were too many of them for me to just shoot down, so of course I used Crescent's scythe form. I thought that I would be fine, you know, just the targets all over again. But suddenly, they just got too close, and it got... I don't know... very real, very fast and I just..."

"You just couldn't pretend anymore." Jaune finished for her.

Ruby nodded. "How did you do it? I watched you for a while when you were fighting them and you looked the same as always. Doesn't it bother you?"

"Of course it bothers me." Jaune took the initiative and plopped down next to Ruby before she could move away. "I would be even more worried if you said it didn't bother you at all. Look, Rubes. I didn't suggest this trip so we could learn how to just... turn off our emotions. I could never ask you of all people to do that." Ruby's emotions are her main driving force. Asking her to stop feeling them would be the same as asking her not breathe.

"Then why? This is never going to... _not_ bother me. I don't think that will ever change. So why did you bring me here?"

"I brought you here because you're stronger than that Ruby. You're strong enough to keep fighting despite of this."

"I don't know, Jaune. I can't-"

"Come on, Ruby, snap out of it!" Jaune finally decided to stop talking gentle. "I can't I don't know, you never say stuff like this! Yes, you can keep fighting. You already did earlier today, and you can do it again."

"That was different. I totally lost control." she tried to explain.

"Then take it back."

"How?!"

"The same way you mastered Crescent Rose. You train. You build experience. You gain confidence. And you do not give up!"

"... It's not that simple." Ruby argued weakly.

"Like hell. You've already started. You're still a great fighter and Huntress. That fight back there proved it. All of your abilities are still there. But you can no longer see the Grimm as the monsters that they are, and it's choking you."

"I can't help it, okay? I've tried to keep in mind what Ozpin said, but I can't help but see their faces."

"That's great. Use that."

"Okay, you completely lost me."

"Hear me out." Jaune tried to put his thinking to words. "It goes with the advice Ozpin gave us. All those people... they're trapped. Their bodies are sort of, frozen inside. Like the Grimm swallowed them whole."

"That's gross."

"Just shut up and listen. If you can't stop yourself from seeing them, then stop trying. Just... think of it differently. They are right in front of you, that's all the more reason for you to destroy the Grimm their trapped in."

"What, like each one is a... prison?"

"Yeah! A mobile prison you have to cut open to free them."

"Jaune, I don't know about this." Ruby said uncertainly.

 _Damn, what's it gonna take to convince her?_ "Tell you what, Ruby. We still have tomorrow left on this trip. Now I've been handling our route into the forest, so we'll change it up a bit." Jaune got out his pack and took out a folded map, which he then placed in Ruby's hands. "Tomorrow, you have the lead."

* * *

"There's supposed to be an field full of rocks around here somewhere, right? We passed it, like, an hour before we made camp. We should have gone back to it by now." Ruby grumbled.

"Rubes, you're holding the map sideways. Again." said Jaune tiredly. Why did he think this was a good idea? There's a reason Yang always relied on her Scroll for directions.

Ruby pulled the map up to her face (thankfully the right way up this time) to hide her blush. "I-I knew that! I just wanted a fresh perspective!"

"Of course, of course." he nodded and smiled sadly. It seemed that Ruby was slowly regaining her former liveliness and cheer. But he knew all too well that the grief was still present, she was just getting used to hiding it.

He was worried. He thought that giving Ruby her sense of leadership back, she would be more motivated, but they have yet to meet any opposition to test that theory. But even if there were no Grimm on the way back, they did make some improvements. Both of them, not just Ruby.

A low growling permeated the air, making Ruby look up from the map. It seems they found the rock field that Ruby was talking about, but they certainly got more than they asked for. They quickly moved as quickly and silently as possible to hide behind a bush to observe the Grimm.

At least a dozen Beowolves were in the field, each one growling and sniffing the air. However their attention was drawn to the abnormally large Alpha in the center of the field. This was one was over four meters tall. They almost mistook it for an Ursa, but its physiology was unmistakable It's back was covered with spikes like usual. However, unusually for a Beowolf, its arms and legs were covered in thick plate armor instead of spikes.

"Jaune, have you ever seen a Beowolf that big before?"

"No way, Alpha or otherwise. That thing is as big as an Ursa Major. And that armor's gonna be a pain in the ass." He turned to Ruby. "So, leader, how do you want to handle this?"

"Alone."

"Alright, I'll swing to the le- wait, what?"

"I want to do this by myself, Jaune." Ruby said quietly.

Jaune blinked, and looked at Ruby. Looked hard.

"Don't worry. I can take 'em!" she reassured him.

"Oh, I've no doubt about that. But that's not really what I'm worried about..."

"You said yourself, Jaune. I have to do this. If I'm too scared to take out small fry like this, then I might as well quit being a Huntress. And I'll do it for real this time, I'll use Crescent Rose completely, not just the rifle." She flashed him a smile full of promise. "Besides, If anything goes wrong, you have my back, right?"

Jaune could only shake his head at her reckless behavior, but ultimately he said nothing. Mostly because he knew that she probably got it from Yang and himself. A wry smile made its way on his face before he could stop it. "Yes, Ruby. If worst comes to worst, I have your back. I'm insulted you need to ask."

Ruby's smile widened, before it was replaced with a look of complete focus. She stood up from behind the bushes, instantly drawing the attention of the Beowolves, but she was not intimidated. Crescent Rose unfurled to its full glory, a black and crimson scythe that radiated power and lethality, guaranteeing death to any that met its blade.

Ruby walked slowly, her steps light, moving into a familiar stance. She bent her knees forward slightly, prepared to spring away at the slightest hint of the Grimm's advance, and wielded Crescent Rose so it was parallel to the ground, held back and ready to be swung. Her finger rested lightly on the trigger, primed to give her whatever speed boost she needed.

It seemed that the Grimm had finally lost patience. Five Beowolves leapt at her, leaving her no direction forwards or sideways to dodge. She could have stepped back to evade them. I t would have been a smart move, giving her more room to use her large weapon.

But of course, the red reaper didn't do that.

Her body blurred, there was a flash of light, and a whirlwind of rose petals spiraling towards the sky. The miniature cyclone stopped less than a second later, but Ruby remained in her initial position, her body showing no indication that she even move at all.

The Grimm who were foolish enough to attack her of course, were a completely different story. Time was temporarily frozen, letting Jaune observe what had happened to them. All five of them were split apart, their bodies suspended and arranged so the cuts became one perfectly straight line, like space tore itself to rip them in two. In one strike that lasted less than a span of a heartbeat, Crescent Rose had claimed five more victims.

Time resumed. Their decaying bodies fell, and a lone gunshot finally escaped into the air and into the trees.

Ruby's eyes were closed. She took a deep breath, and then another, and another. In her hands, Crescent Rose was perfectly steady, not a single trace of anxiety or hesitation. The Grimm around all roared in unison, but this time, Ruby was the one who made the first move.

Even without her Semblance, Ruby was still the swiftest person Jaune had ever met. She also possessed a strength no-one would expect from her small and slender frame, which was necessary for the effective use of her weapon which, while made of lightweight materials, was still nearly as heavy as she was. Both of these facts were made brutally clear to the Grimm, and Jaune, as she systematically destroyed every Grimm in the field. Ruby wove through the attacks, ducking and twisting her body around claws and fangs alike. Each attempted strike towards her was returned with deadly force, allowing no second chances for the offender.

A Beowolf lunged at her unprotected back. Jaune nearly jumped up to shout at her in warning. But it was unnecessary. Without even turning her head, Ruby sprang into the air, flipping over the Beowolf's head. While in midair, Crescent Rose shrunk to its rifle form, which Ruby then fired into the Grimm's back. The Beowolf hadn't even finished scattering across the rocks before Ruby jumped back again, unfurling Crescent Rose and burying straight through the body of another Grimm and into the ground to stop herself from flying too far.

Ruby stopped for a moment, wondering why the attacks had stopped. She looked around and saw why. There only one Grimm left, being the abnormally large Alpha. She gained a look of definite surprise, but she quashed it down to finish her task. She quickly noted its position and stance, before charging.

She zigzagged in her movements to confuse the Grimm. After circling the beast several times, she darted inwards, her scythe but a crimson flash as she swung it to the back of its knee. It was a near perfect maneuver that would have severely crippled the Grimm's already limited mobility. However, Ruby's blade was stopped by an armored hand, creating an irritating screech as the two collided.

Ruby's eyes widened in surprise. The Alpha roared in indignation and flung her away, but she landed safely on her feet. Jaune was already standing, Crocea Mors drawn, but Ruby wouldn't have it. "NO!"

He was about to protest, but she fixed her silver eyes on him with a glare, the likes of which he thought he'd never see from her. No more words needed to be spoken. Those silver eyes told him everything. He grudgingly sheathed Crocea Mors, but remained standing, one hand resting on the hilt.

Satisfied that there would be no more interruptions, Ruby brought all of her attention to the Alpha. She let her current magazine drop to the ground, replacing it with one filled with Gravity Dust bullets.

A black explosion combined with a flurry of flower petals was all Jaune could see before Ruby appeared right in front of the Alpha. She brought her scythe down, and was blocked again by the Alpha's arm, however she did succeed in making a large gouge in its armor. Her body still hanging by the scythe on the Beowolf's arm, she used both legs to kick it right in the face. The impact sent its head flying back and let her body fall to the ground.

The Grimm snarled and dropped to all fours. It charged at her, cracking the rocks underneath its feet. When it was less than a meter a way, Ruby moved to the side like a matador with her scythe extended. Crescent Rose struck the exact site of the gouge she had made, but this time, the blade carved straight through. The loss of its limb greatly unbalanced the Grimm and made it skid and roll across the ground, and it ended up on its stomach.

The Huntress disappeared once again, coming to a stop on top of the overturned Beowolf's stomach. Crescent Rose had been shifted to its third combat form, the blade parallel to the shaft. Ruby drove the sharp point into the soft underbelly, drawing out a long and clearly enraged roar from the Alpha. Calm silver eyes met murderous red for a long moment.

Ruby repositioned her hands on the shaft, and pulled the trigger, Ruby's strength and the Gravity Dust dragging Crescent Rose upwards through its body, until the blade stopped at the Grimm's neck. Ruby pulled the trigger again, cleaving through the rest of its head in one final motion.

The Alpha Beowolf was dead. Ruby exhaled audibly, the tension visible leaving her body as she did. She stepped off of the Alpha, breathing heavily, Crescent Rose shaking in her hands.

Jaune walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"No." Ruby answered immediately. She raised her head and turned to look at the bodies of the Grimm that she herself had slain. "But I think I will be."

* * *

 **I have no excuses. I really didn't mean for this chapter to take so long to be updated. But a ghastly combination of real life and writer's block practically crippled my fingers for this chapter.**

 **In my defense, this was hard to write. Hell, I don't know if what I wrote is even any good. These characters are always so... cheerful and happy. Getting to these emotional states in a way that seems realistic... I'm not a psychologist, okay?**

 **Fortunately, the next chapter should go somewhat smoother, but let's not get our hopes up, eh?**

 **By the way, I uploaded a new fic: "The First Flame". It's a Highschool DxD fanfiction, so if you're a fan of that, go check it out!**

 **Read, review, follow and favorite! My writer's block demands it!**


	14. Chapter 14: Shell Shock

Lifeblood

 **Let me just respond to a few reviews!**

 **5 Coloured Walker: Thanks for the corrections, they're all much appreciated.**

 **They call me Tim: That's a great insight. I'm curious if anyone else is thinking the same. To be honest, this wasn't originally meant to be Lancaster, but then I saw where this was going and thought, 'Yeah, Lancaster is pretty much unavoidable.'**

 **Ryu Hizume. I'm afraid the next one is quite a ways away.**

 **And of course, I don't own RWBY, a fact I will curse to my dying day. Now let's begin!**

 **Chapter 14: Shell Shock**

"Bianca, are you sure this is the place?" Sequoia said into her earpiece.

 **"Yes. The tracking software is accurate for up to thirty meters. This is the only building in your vicinity. Trust me, this is the place."** said Bianca through the speaker.

 **"Finally, we get some payback."** Sequoia could feel the anticipation in her twin's voice.

The two of them, along with a four other Huntsmen, were on a mission situated just a few kilometers south of Vale's walls. They were all scattered around a large dilapidated five-story building. The white paint was cracked, weeds grew rampant on the grounds, and the windows have all been boarded up. But there were signs of recent activity, such as footprints and vehicle tracks.

 **"The hell is this place?"** Another, male voice asked.

 **"It's an old development and research facility for military weapons. It was a very useful facility that could perform on-site testing without fear of collateral damage. However the Valean government made it obsolete nearly a decade ago. It's been abandoned ever since."**

"A perfect hide-out for the White Fang, huh?" They had been tracking members of the White Fang for weeks now. They had found splinter groups in Vale, and more had been found in other kingdoms. Despite initial misgivings, each Kingdom had (tentatively) decided to collaborate to eliminate the White Fang.

Less than a week ago, Bianca had caught a break with the virus which had been inserted into Atlas' secure CCTS. She had managed to catch a signal transmitting through a previously unknown backdoor in the system. After what they've been told was a great deal of difficulty, she had followed the signal through several relays before landing in the building in front of them.

 **"Sequoia how's the view from upstairs? What kind of resistance can we expect in there?"** asked the first male voice.

"I don't think it's anything to worry about."Sequoia answered. She had gone ahead of them to scope out the location with a pair of infrared goggles. "I've been watching the place for a while, and I nearly thought it was still abandoned. At most, I'd say twenty, maybe thirty guys altogether. There are a lot of them in one place, right now. Probably a meeting or something."

 **"That's great timing for us. Alright guys, we're moving in, like we discussed. Remember, that building is full of Faunus. Stealth will be impossible, so we're not even gonna try. Now those of you with firearms, we need prisoners to interrogate, so normal rounds, people."** Iris issued the orders to the other Huntsmen on the ground.

 **"Guys, be careful. There's something wrong with this picture..."** Bianca warned them.

"Wrong?"

 **"I'm just getting a bad feeling. The heat signatures I'm picking out seem..."**

 **"Don't worry, we're all on high alert. They're not getting the drop on us. Move in!"**

Five shadows sped from their hiding places towards the building, and one descended onto the roof. Their plan was simple. While her sister and their other comrades wreaked havoc downstairs, Sequoia would search for their target.

The target in question was whatever device was used to receive the signal that was being sent fro the virus. Bianca said that it was still active, so there was a chance that the hacker could be here as well. A small chance, but enough to warrant a full frontal assault.

 **"Turn left here, Sequoia."** said Bianca, once Sequoia had entered the building. Her other sister had obtained the buildings floor plan and was using it to guide her. **"You should see a set of double doors up ahead. After that take a right and take go down the stairs."**

Sequoia followed the instructions, running quickly through the old and grimy hallways, yet still maintaining a high level of caution in case she encountered any enemies. "Alright, what now?" she said as she stepped off of the staircase.

 **"Just go straight ahead and it's the second set of doors on your right."**

Sequoia raised her fans in preparation and was nearly to the room that Bianca had pointed out.

"I'm about to secure the device." Sequoia finally entered the room where her target was meant to be.

A faint blue glow characteristic to Scroll technology filled the room. Despite the illumination, the room was still fairly dark with all of the windows being boarded up. Sequoia scanned the room, confirming that she was, indeed alone, before making her way to the computer positioned in the center of the room.

"Alright, Bianca. I'm here. Tell me what to do."

 **"All you have to do is hook up the Scroll I gave you."**

"Okay, what now?"

 **"Just stand back and let me work my magic."**

And so, Sequoia could only watch as the screen flared to life. Invisible hands seemed to fly across the keyboard as lines of code flew by at a mind-boggling pace. Bianca had explained to them what she was going to do, but honestly Sequoia could only get the simple gist of it. Basically, Bianca was going to see if the device was connected to anything else in Remnant. As well as that, if there were other devices, she would infect them with her own malware.

 **"Hmmm... something's wrong."**

"I'm tired of hearing that, sister. _What_ is wrong?"

 **"This computer, it's too... bare. The virus I tracked is designed to leak classified materials, so I expected terabytes of information here, but there's barely anything. Wait a second, what is this?"**

"Bianca tell me something." Sequoia was starting to get frustrated.

 **"A program has started running on its own. I don't what it does, nor can I stop it!"**

The unease growing in Sequoia grew. "Bianca shut the damn thing down!"

Immediately after the words left her mouth, the screen blinked and turned black. The Huntress couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. "Any ideas on what that program was meant t-"

She was cut off when a simple white cursor appeared on the previously dead screen. The cursor blinked a few times, before it moved to form the words:

 **[YOU'RE ALL DEAD IN:]**

 **[10]**

 **[9]**

Her eyes widened in panic. She screamed into her earpiece. "IRIS! Get everbody the hell out of here!"

 **"What!"**

"There's a bomb up here, hidden inside the computer! And judging by the size of the computer, it's a big one. Bianca, can you disarm it?!"

 **"I can't even get inside it! A bunch of firewalls suddenly popped up and it would take too long to get through. Forget the device, just get the hell out of there!"**

 **[8]**

 **[7]**

 **[GOTCHA]**

 **BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**

* * *

Jaune strode through the halls of the hospital, doing his best not to break into a run. He came to the crowded waiting room. Scanning the room he quickly found a group of blondes and brunettes and immediately made his way over.

Upon his mother seeing him, he swept her into a hug, before repeating the same to all of his siblings. At least, to the sisters who were present. Giving his youngest sister, Magenta, back to his mother, he turned to his father. "How is she?"

"Not good. She's been in surgery close to four hours. It's been touch and go for a while."

"Do you know what happened?"

Jacques shook his head gravely. "All we know is that she was caught in a very large explosion at close range. Iris said that the explosion demolished a building, and that Sequoia was probably standing less than ten feet away from it."

"My God." Jaune breathed. "Wait, Sequoia's been through lots of explosions before. How come this was different?" A blast that could take out half a building could certainly have enough force to rip through someone's Aura. But Sequoia's mastery of her aerokinetic Semblance could keep a grenade's explosion in a sphere the size of a basketball.

"That was because, in the past, she was focused on defending herself against them. Iris thinks that something caught her off guard, before the explosion hit the best she could do was make a vacuum field as large as possible around herself to minimize the effects of the explosion's blast wave. But Fire Dust doesn't need oxygen to produce heat. The intense temperatures knocked her out and destabilized the vacuum."

"What about Iris? Is she alright? Where is she?" Jaune had noticed the absence of his sister, but after hearing Sequoia's situation, had grown even more worried. Bianca was absent as well, but she lived in Atlas, and she worked for the military, so she wasn't expected to come until later.

"She's fine, physically anyway. I think you should go talk to her."

"She's blaming herself for this, isn't she?" Jaune knew his sisters. He knew that while Iris loved them all, she was undeniably closer to Sequoia. Even though she was the younger twin, she always saw Sequoia as her responsibility. It was a running theory that her Semblance was just a result of her being overprotective of her sister.

"So is Bianca, actually. I can only imagine what she's going to be like when she gets here. I guess that runs in the family."

"Yeah, I guess it does. So, where is she?"

"She went to get something to drink. Bring her back here, son. She shouldn't be alone right now. I'll watch over your mother and sisters."

"Got it. I'll be back with her before you know it."

It took him ten minutes to locate Iris. He had nearly missed her. There was a few vending machines at the end of one of the hallways. At first he thought no-one was there, but then he spotted a pair of steel-toed boots from behind one of the machines. He peered into the gap between the machines and found Iris curled up with a can of grape soda.

Jaune knew his sisters. Very well, he was proud to say. And one thing he was certain of, was that Iris never cried. She refused to feel sadness, preferring to remove or resolve the source of her sadness instead. Even when he went missing, he was told she didn't waste a second moping. She threw herself into the search for him, awake for days straight in her quest to find him. She was the emotional rock of the family, she would never be swayed.

Until now.

She was near unrecognizable. Her clothes were torn and coated in dirt and smoke stains. Glistening tears cut through her cheeks, falling onto her lap. She was totally silent, not sobbing or sniffling, but the grief was definitely there. She was as till as a statue, her eyes staring blankly into space.

Jaune wasn't expecting this. He really had underestimated how much Iris cared about Sequoia. He had expected anger, aimed at herself for allowing this to happen. Not this... hollowness.

He didn't say anything. He crouched down in front of her and waited for her to notice him.

"..."

"Thirty-seven."

"Hmm?"

"When we entered that building, we were expecting heavy opposition from the White Fang. But we cleared the first floor and there was nobody there. I should have called for a retreat right then. But we pushed on. We came to the second floor and found an old conference room. There they were. Thirty-three Faunus, all restrained and gagged. It turns out that they were all members of the White Fang, but they were planning to defect. They were caught and they were used as bait.

"I didn't even get a chance to say ' _What the hell'_ before Sequoia was screaming at me about a bomb and to get the hell out of there. The building barely started shaking when I just threw my strongest barrier around everybody there. The building crashed underneath us, we were buried under ten tonnes of iron and concrete. Of course, thanks to _me_ , no-one got anything more serious than bruises and rope burns. Thanks to me, thirty-three good people, thirty seven, including the Huntsmen, were unharmed."

Iris was getting more agitated, drawing her legs in, trying to make herself as small as possible. "Meanwhile... less than twenty meters above me, m-my sister was getting burned alive, _alone._ "

"You know how people always say ' _I should have been with her'_ or ' _I should have done something for her'_ when someone dies? I start thinking that, but then another part of me says, ' _If I did go with her, who would have protected those people?'_ I'm the only one capable. But I can't help but thinking that if given the choice... I would choose her every time."

Jaune had to intervene after hearing her say that. "No, you wouldn't have. You know you wouldn't have. Sequoia wouldn't have let you, nor would she have forgiven you if you chose her. And she would have done the same thing because you know it's the right thing to-"

"I don't give a damn about her forgiveness!" she screamed, the can in her hand finally bursting from the pressure. "She could have hated me all she wanted! At least then she wouldn't be..."

"That's enough." Now he was angry. "You're talking like she's already dead. Like you've already given up hope. I'm not going to let you think this way."

"I saw her body, Jaune. I can't even describe it. Even if they save her, her life will never be the same again."

"But at least she'll still have one. Now when she wakes up, and believe me, she _will,_ she's gonna need _you_ , more than ever. So you can't stay here, okay?" Jaune could feel his own voice breaking up, the tears pricking his eyes. He didn't bother stopping it, but he pushed himself on. "We need you back there. You want to protect her, then don't leave her because she needs you."

Neither of the siblings said anything further. Iris opened her arms and Jaune immediately embraced her. He stood up, pulling Iris to her feet as he did so. Still in each other's arms, they slowly walked to rejoin their family.

* * *

Bianca arrived five hours after Jaune did. She was in a similar state to Sequoia, but much less severe. She had tried to start blaming herself for the explosion, but she couldn't deny that the device would have been set off with or without her intervention. Thankfully her guilt, while strong, was swiftly alleviated by Iris. The two sisters found some relief and comfort in each other, being the only ones there who knew everything about the failed operation.

The Arc family ended up camping in the waiting room. Even the youngest members refused to budge no matter how sleepy they were, or how awful the hospital food was. It was a very tense wait. Every time a doctor came into the waiting room, they sat up straight, awaiting the news until it became clear that the doctor had other business.

After three hours, Jaune finally remembered to call his team, as he did run out of class without warning. They were very understanding of the situation and agreed to explain it to the professors. They also offered to come to the hospital for support, but Jaune told them otherwise.

 **"Are you sure you don't want us there?"** Pyrrha's voice was clearly concerned. Jaune knew her caring nature made it very difficult to stop herself from running straight to the hospital, with Ren and Nora close behind.

"Don't worry about me. I'm sure I'll irritate Goodwitch enough when I skip out on her class. I don't want her to become annoyed at you three as well."

 **"That's a risk we're willing to take!"** Nora's boisterous voice blasted through the speaker. Jaune couldn't help but smile. His bubbly, ginger-haired teammate could always be counted on to brighten up the room, even if she wasn't even in it.

"No, no. Trust me, I'll be fine. You guys can come visit later if you want. But don't get in trouble for my sake."

 **"If you say so..."**

Jaune looked back to his family and say a doctor in a surgical gown talking to his father. "Hey, I gotta go. Tell Yang and Ruby I'm alright, and uh, I'll see you guys soon, alright?"

 **"Okay. Bye, Jaune."**

"Bye." He hung up and speed-walked to his family. "Hey, what's up?"

His father turned to him with a look of happiness on his face. "Sequoia is out of surgery. She's not awake, but we can go see her now."

The doctor spoke up. "Only for a few minutes. She shouldn't be in a crowded room. You can all see her, but I'm afraid I can only permit two of you to stay in the room." The doctor hesitated before continuing. "I do have to warn you. She was in very bad condition when she came, and there is a lot of damage that is irreversible."

"Such as?"

"She suffered third degree injuries to 80% of her body. Her right arm, and both legs were burned beyond rescue, and we were forced to amputate. Most of the burns will heal, as her Aura does, but I'm afraid that extensive scarring will be inevitable."

"Can you please just take us to her?" His mother cut in.

"Of course, ma'am. Please follow me."

The family solemnly followed the doctor through the hallways. Jaune was reminded of how much he hated hospitals. The disinfectant irritated him, and the cold, clinical atmosphere always made him feel uneasy. He really didn't understand how a place of healing could have such a lack of sympathy.

They came to a room which had all of the blinds closed. The doctor addressed his parents. "I will warn you again, she is in very bad shape. It might be quite a shock for you and your chil-"

"Just get outta my way." Iris carelessly shoved the doctor out of the way, barging into the room and immediately going to stand by the bedside. The rest of the family quickly followed, a few sending slightly apologetic glances at the doctor, but most of them didn't even give him a second look.

Jaune had prepared himself once the doctor told him of hi sister's condition. But it wasn't nearly enough. The moment he laid eyes on her, he barely stopped himself from falling to his knees.

The doctor had understated the amount of scarring present on her body. The right half of Sequoia's face was covered in bandages. His eyes roved down and took in what he dreaded to see. Her right arm ended just below her elbow, her left leg ended above her knee, her right leg in the middle of her lower thigh. She was covered up to her neck by a blanket, but what little skin they could see was wrapped with bandages as well. Numerous machines attached to her beeped relentlessly. A tube was attached to her mouth, which Jaune presumed was what was helping her with her breathing.

Iris broke down immediately. She knelt by the bedside and clasped her twin's remaining hand. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Sequoia." she sobbed, holding Sequoia's hand against her chest. Bianca placed her hand on her shoulder, letting her own tears flow. The other twins, Coral and Lavender stood at the end of the bed, crying as well, holding into each other like a lifeline. His eldest sister, Sable was trying to be strong for them, but it obviously wasn't working.

His father kept talking to the doctor. "So what are our options here, doctor? Prosthetics or something?"

"That is an option. There are some very advanced prostheses available. With enough physical rehabilitation, she'd be able to walk and otherwise operate normally."

Jaune had to ask the question. "Doctor... Is there any hope of Sequoia continuing her career as a Huntress?" Iris looked up at his question, as did every member of the family who was a Huntsman.

"I doubt it." he answered bluntly. "I have seen cases like these, but those injuries were less severe and the Huntsmen in question were support fighters to begin with. But Ms. Arc here, I am told is very much a frontline fighter. It will take her years to reach the level she was before, even with the most advanced prosthetics."

"But is it possible?" he pressed on.

"...Yes. It would be a long and difficult road for her, but yes. It is possible."

"That's all I need to know." he nodded resolutely. Being a Huntress was one of the most important things in Sequoia's life, second only to them, her family. If there was the slightest chance of getting her old life back, she would shoot for it and she would achieve it no matter how impossible it may seem.

One of the many machines attached to Sequoia started beeping wildly. Her body started shaking and her eyes started flickering wildly. The doctor called for a nurse and pushed them all out of the way.

"What, what the hell is happening?" Iris asked frantically.

"She's waking up. Much sooner than expected, might I add. I'm sorry, miss, but you need to move away while we remove the breathing tube."

Iris tried to comply but Sequoia's grip on her hand tightened painfully stopping her from moving away. She looked her sister's panicked eye and understood. "Looks like I'm here to stay, doc."

The doctor looked like he wanted to argue further, but he had more important matters. The Arc family watched with bated breath as the doctor carefully removed the tube in her throat. When it was finally removed, Sequoia was coughing and wheezing painfully. The nurse gave her a mask which she gratefully accepted.

When she had finally calmed down, the doctor started speaking to her again. "Sequoia, was it? I'm afraid the explosion burned your lungs. Until your Aura recovers, you will have some difficulty breathing and speaking. But judging by these readings, that should only take a few days."

Sequoia could only nod in response.

"Now I'm afraid the rest of you must leave. The young lady needs to rest. Iris, you may stay. Only one other person can stay with her."

"Alright." His mother reluctantly agreed. "Everybody, say goodbye to your sister for now. We'll see you soon, sweetie. I promise."

Sequoia accepted the gentle hugs and kisses of farewell from her family. His mom chose to stay with her and Iris, entrusting Maggie to Coral and Lavender. One by one, they slowly filed out of the room.

Once they were out of the room, his father pulled them aside. "Listen, why don't you guys go to the cafeteria and get something to eat. I have to make a call."

"Who are you calling?"

"A doctor I know. A doctor who happens to owe me a favor. I'll see about getting Sequoia the best of the best to help her recovery."

"Alright." Being the eldest, Sable took command. "Come on, guys, let's go get some crappy hospital food. If we're lucky we can get some Jell-O. You guys want Jell-O?"

Twenty minutes later, they had sifted through the slop they had been served. Bianca, ever the optimist, was trying to cheer up the twins. Sable was picking at her chicken salad with a contemplative look on her face. She abruptly stood, drawing their attention. "I'm gonna step out for a bit. Bianca, you're in charge."

"Sable, what's the matter?"

"Nothing. Dad's gonna be back soon, you don't have to worry. Don't wait up for me." She walked out of the cafeteria without saying anything else.

Jaune made to follow her, but Bianca grabbed his arm. "Bianca, let go of me."

"I know that look in your eye, Jaune."

"What look?"

"The same look you got when that kid tried to pick on Maggie a couple of years ago. You're pissed, and you're about to do something very stupid and very reckless. Question is; why should I let you?"

Jaune quickly glanced at his younger siblings to make sure they were distracted, before meeting Bianca's calculating red eyes. "You're gonna let me do this because you're just as pissed as I am."

"I nearly lost one sibling today. I am not going to lose two more."

"And you're not going to."

"Look me in the eye and tell me that you and Sable are going to come back safely."

Jaune lowered his head so his face was less than an inch from Bianca's. "I swear to you, I'll make sure to stay safe. I'm going to be in one piece when you see me again and so will Sable. And I swear I'm going to pay these bastards back a hundred-fold for what they did to Sequoia."

Bianca's eyes narrowed, before she grudgingly released his hand. "Go, before Dad comes back. I'll cover for you two."

Jaune was already running, desperate to catch up to Sable. He spotted her in the car park, just putting the key in the lock. The door barely opened halfway before he slammed it back closed.

Sable didn't take her hand off the handle. "Get out of my way, Jaune. You know you can't stop me."

"I'm not gonna try. I'm going to come with you."

"Forget it."

"You know you can't stop me." he repeated her own words back to her.

Sable placed a hand on one of her pistols. "Oh, I think I can, Jaune."

"Alright, maybe you can, but you won't."

"Because?"

"Because you need me. Do you even know what you're going to do now?"

"I'll start at the police department. Then if that doesn't turn up anything, I'll shoot up every known hangout of the White Fang until I know what I need." she explained her plan while waving her gun aggressively. "I don't need you for that."

"Shooting everything that gets in your way is no solution."

"Maybe, but it sure will make me feel better. Besides, do you got an alternative?"

"As a matter of fact I do. Listen, all this time, we've been chasing the White Fang. They've been two steps ahead of everyone this entire time. We have to stop chasing. We need to get ahead of them. And for that, we need information."

"And you have this information?"

"I know someone who can give it to us."

* * *

"What are we doing here?" asked Sable as they got out of the car into the rundown street. "This is Poppy and Velvet's place, isn't it?"

"Yep. I'm here to see an old acquaintance. Lock your doors, it's a shady neighborhood."

They both entered the ramshackle dorm-house at the end of the street. Jaune looked around before calling out in a loud voice. "Poppy! Guess who?!"

A young woman with brown hair tied into a ponytail with long rabbit ears stepped out of one of the doors upstairs. "Jaune? Is that you?"

"Down here, Poppy!"

Poppy quickly ran down the stairs to envelop the both of them in a bone-crushing hug. "Jaune! Sable! It's been too long. You guys don't visit nearly as much as you should, you know? Wait a second, Jaune it's still school hours. What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but this isn't a social call."

"What do you mean?" Poppy asked, her face showing concern and suspicion.

"I need to call in a favor... from the old man."

Poppy's face hardened. "Jaune, what have you gotten yourself into?" She raised her hand and turned away with her eyes closed. "You know what? Don't tell me, I don't want to get involved anymore than I have to." She sighed deeply. "Go down the hall to the double doors at the end. He's in the lounge."

"Thanks. And I promise I'll genuinely visit, real soon." He made to walk away, before remembering something. "One more thing, if you will-"

"I won't tell Velvet."

"thanks, again." He gave her another hug, and went down the hall she directed them too. He opened one of the doors with an annoying creak and scanned the room. Even though he had only had a few passing glimpses of the man over the years, he was still easily recognizable.

He was sitting in one of the couches, smoking a cigarette, flicking ash nonchalantly on the ground. Judging by the stench lingering in the room and pile of cigarette buts around him, it was probably safe to say it wasn't his first one that man heard him waved his hand before he could even speak. "Finally decided to show up, kid? About damn time!"

"Wait, you were expecting me?" he asked warily as he and Sable sat down on a chair in front of him."

"Course. Hard to miss over thirty Faunus seeking refuge after defecting the White Fang. Once I found out that one of the Huntresses who got injured had the last name 'Arc', I figured you'd come runnin'"

"So I'm sure you know why we're here. We need information on the White Fang."

The old man regarded him with a lazy eye. "What makes you think I got any?"

"You mean you don't?" Jaune asked incredulously.

"Nah, I'm just messing with you." he chuckled.

Sable's annoyance finally bolied over. "Alright, enough. Are you going to help us or what?"

"Relax, girlie. I'm getting there." Sable placed a hand on a pistol. "Fine, fine! Yeah, I got information on the White Fang. But I have it in spades. I need specifics if I'm gonna be any use to ya."

Jaune looked to Sable, as she knew the details of Iris and Sequoia's target. "We're looking for a hacker. We don't have a name or a face. The only thing we know is that he is highly skilled and he started operating operating roughly two years ago."

The old man said nothing for a while, choosing to blow a cloud of smoke in their faces first. When he spoke again, his voice as contemplative. "I think I know who you're talking about. Now, keep in mind all I'm telling you are rumors, alright?"

"Now, first off, this guy doesn't work for the White Fang, he's human, and he works for Roman Torchwick."

"The thief?"

"Yep. Word is he used to work for the Atlesians, a prodigy in the field of radio-communications. But I guess he found out here are quicker ways to make a buck. He did freelance work for a while, forging IDs, bank robberies, corporate espionage, that kind of thing, but then Torchwick hired him to work for him exclusively. Guess he saw the kid's talent."

"I don't give a damn about his life story, I want his location." Sable snapped.

"Don't have it."

"What?!"

"But I do have Torchwick's location."

"Why didn't you just start with that..." Jaune sighed exasperatedly.

The man gave out that infuriating chuckle once again, and Jaune had to hold on to Sable to stop her from strangling the only lead they have. "So where is he?"

"There's a ferry in Vale Harbor, heading to Mistral. Official papers say that it's hauling manufacturing products for automobiles, but really? It's carrying hundreds of White Fang member and crates chock full of weapons and Dust. You can thank your hacker for that digital fuck-up."

"And Torchwick is gonna be there?"

"Almost certainly. He's the one supplying the goods, he's not gonna trust the White Fang with 'em. Either him or one of his lieutenants. Either way, you'll find someone who has a clue as to your hacker's location."

"Why didn't you give this information to the authorities?"

"One: it's not my problem. Two: I myself did not get this information until recently. And three: a criminal simply does not rat out their fellow criminals until they're absolutely sure their tracks are covered."

"And yet you're giving it to us?"

"I owe you a favor." he shrugged. "And it never hurts to cultivate a good relationship with potential future customers."

"...Forget I asked. So where is the ship exactly?"

"You'll find it in Pier 13 B. Fair warning, it leaves in..." He glanced at his wristwatch. "about three hours. If you want to plan something pre-emptive, now's the time."

"Anything else you got?"

"Some advice. If you're serious about this, shoot to kill. Because these people are the type to crawl back up just to shoot you in the back."

"You won't have to worry about that, old man." said Sable, getting up from her seat. "I'll make sure not to give any of them a second chance." She walked away, not even bothering to make sure Jaune was following her.

Jaune stood and made to leave, before seemingly remembering something. "Thanks."

"I just sent two kids to a ship filled with terrorists and you're thanking me? Well, I admit that's a first."

Jaune didn't reply as he once again ran after his sister. "Hey, Sable!" He caught up with her as she was getting into her car. He jogged over to the other side before posing his question. "Did you mean what you said back there? About no second chances?"

"Don't worry, little bro. I'll aim to take them down, not out. But let's just say I'm not going to lose any sleep should my trigger finger twitch at an unfortunate moment." she sneered, before ducking into the car and slamming the door, Jaune following suit.

"So where to?"

"Didn't you hear the old coot? Vale Harbour, Pier 13-" Jaune blinked, realizing that the voice who asked the question was the wrong tone to be his sister. He whirled around, Sable mirrorring his actions, and immediately identified the other passengers.

"What the hell are you guys doing here?"

Piled into the backseat, from left to right was Pyrrha, Nora and Ren. Their expressions varied greatly from Pyrrha's embarrassed and sheepish smile to Nora's usual childish exuberance. Ren was wearing a blank expression, but the brief glances he gave him and Nora told him everything he needed to know.

This was Nora's idea.

Pyrrha, bless her soul, took it upon herself to explain why she disobeyed direct orders. "Well, uh, you see we were very concerned about you, so... Nora suggested we go to the hospital to surprise and cheer you up a bit! Then we saw you leave with your sister and got a taxi to follow you. Sable, right? It's nice to finally meet you!" she greeted, extending a hand and one of her signature smiles.

Sable could only narrow her eyes. "How did you get into my car?"

"Umm, I'm good with metalwork? I made sure not to damage anything, I swear!"

Sable sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, and Jaune really had to stop himself from doing the same. After muttering something under her breath about nosy teenagers she growled out two words. "Get out."

"I agree with my sister, here. You guys need to go. This is serious-"

"So are we." Unexpectedly, Ren was the one who argued against him. "This may have started out as idle curiosity, but we understand that this is a matter of extreme importance. We are your team, Jaune, and whatever troubles you're facing, we shall face it with you."

"Besides," Nora added. "We already ditched Goodwitch's class. We pretty much have nothing to lose at this point!"

...In other words, Jaune would need the Jaws of Life to get them out of the car. He faced his sister, who was giving him an expectant look, as if to say ' _So are you going to deal with them or what?'_ He could only shrug as if to say, ' _Can't help you there, sorry'_

Sable was visibly twitching, but decided to rein in her temper and accept the inevitable. "Are they any good?"

Jaune shared a smirk with his team. "The best."

"Fine, I'll give you three the details of our target on the way there. But if you're tagging alone, there's one rule. Jaune might be your team leader, but on this mission, you follow _my_ orders. So if I tell you to jump ship, you better be in the water the second I give the order. Got it?!" She clearly wasn't taking no for an answer.

"Yes, ma'am!" They all replied, even Jaune.

"Good." Sable started the engine, and soon they were screeching down the highway to the docklands. "Then let's go get some payback."

* * *

 **Short-ish chapter, but the action is all in the next one. And possibly the one after that. So this chapter was actually meant to be longer to include the set-up for the fighting, but I figured it would work in the next chapter better. That, and I really couldn't bring myself to write anymore for this one.**

 **I've finally decided to use that little gateway into the criminal underworld I set up in chapter 4. Is this the last time we see the old man? Will this plot device ever be used again? What the hell do you think?**

 **There's also a slight chance of a (larger than normal) delay for the next chapter, which is also part of the reason this chapter's so short. Nothing big, just some distractions I can't quite shake off.**

 **On a totally unrelated topic, I have discovered the wonderful world of Vocaloids, and all the fanwars and shipping wars that come with it... Hehe, I've been up for days and I haven't run out of songs yet!**

 **Well, nothing left to say, except... READ! REVIEW! FAV AND FOLLOW! THE FICTION GODS DEMAND IT!**


	15. Chapter 15

Okay, I'm really sorry about this, but I think it's about time I stop kidding myself. This story is officially discontinued. I really don't want to do this, but to be honest, writing this story is becoming more of a chore and obligation than anything really enjoyable. And that is something I told myself I wouldn't let happen.

I had a lot of ideas, even an endgame planned out, but I don't have the motivation to go through what it takes to get there. Maybe there's a chance I'll continue it at a later date, but I wouldn't get my hopes up. It's a dumb excuse, I know, but I'm just not feeling it anymore.

I am sorry that Lifeblood didn't pan out the way I wanted to.


End file.
